


Kazoku

by Limitless_Musings



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, ワンパンマン | One-Punch Man
Genre: Child Neglect, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Past Abuse, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 18:56:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 62,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9562238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Limitless_Musings/pseuds/Limitless_Musings
Summary: A family is all that one has. Keeping that family together even during the toughest of storms is sometimes harder that it appears.





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't ow __n jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter One** :

Kagome smiled as her last group of customers left for the day. She turned and smoothed out her apple green apron. The bunched cloth dropped back into its proper place as she untied the string from behind her back.

"You heading out?" An ox-like man called out from an aisle over. She nodded.

"That I am Toushi!" She threw her apron over her shoulder, "You need anything else before I pack up?"

The burly manager threw his head back and laughed, "As if! You did wonderfully today! Now go home! I don't need you quittin' on me 'cause I kept you over your shift."

The young woman laughed, "Yeah right!" She proceeded to the back of the tiny market. It was on the border between the inhabited part of Z-city and it's abandoned counterpart. Due to its location they didn't get a great deal of customers, but enough to make a living. Though a select portion of their clientele were certainly _interesting_ characters. She flung the western-most door back to reveal a small break room complete with a round table large enough to fit eight people, a bar complete with a microwave, and a television broadcasting the latest news.

Kagome's eyes were drawn to the forecaster as news of a mosquito swarm decimating a nearby city was blasted over the speakers.

"Citizens of Z-city, please take cover immediately!" The man yelled, his face pinched with worry. The teen sighed. Well she'd better hurry home quickly. After ensuring that she had everything she needed, the teen made the long trip back to her apartment. She crossed through a familiar gap in the yellow caution tape strewn over the broken chain link fencing.

All of the people that had been wandering around before had already retreated to the safety of their homes. She traversed the path of broken roads and upturned rubble to the heart of the abandoned portion. There were only a few more blocks left before she'd make it home. Then she felt it. A wave of heat flashed through the empty streets. Kagome felt a familiar pulse of power rise up—protecting her against the rush of flames. Once the fire died down, the road under her feet squished uncomfortably. The teen's expression dropped. Much to her dismay the broken tar she had been standing on before had somehow melted into a pile of black goop. She struggled with each step after that. Her shoes sticking even harder to the now cooling surface. Damn if this kept up she was going to be glued in place!

There was another flash of light. This time it was even more powerful than before. Damn it, her barrier wasn't going to do anything against the raw heat! Sure she'd be protected from the fires but it was hot! She panted as she trudged her way through the last couple of streets. Who in the hell was doing all of this? Cobalt eyes narrowed as she saw two people fighting it out in the street. One appeared to be a cyborg and the other some kind of mosquito-like woman. The cyborg was calm and collected but there was something in the way that he carried himself that tipped her off to his uncertainty. A swarm of black surrounded them. Her eyes glowered at the scene. Ah so this was what the newscaster was talking about. Talk about an infestation! The young woman threw her barrier up again. The bugs instantaneously slammed into it, hundreds making gross sizzling sounds as they fell to the ground.

Kagome eyes returned to the battlefield—confident in the fact that she was safe for the time being. The two from before battled it out, then another round of fire pulsated through the area. Great just what she needed. At least she still had some water left over from her break. Once the flames subsided the mosquito-girl was gone and the cyborg from before was standing still, his eyes surveying the area.

"Man, you're amazing. You saved me!" A familiar voice came from a distance. Her brows furrowed. There was no way! As she came closer, she saw another figure that had been hidden from view before. At the center of it all was her aniki—completely naked and rubbing the back of his head.

"Saitama-aniki, what are you doing flashing others like that! That's in bad taste!" The girl reprimanded as she charged over towards them.

Saitama blinked and grinned at his neighbor, "Oh, Kagome-chan, got off from work already?"

"You do realize you are naked, right?!" Kagome barked, her skin burning hot with embarrassment, and it wasn't from the cyborg's flame.

"Ehhhh, ohhh..." He looked down upon himself, "Ah my clothes got burnt off." Came the man's rather blunt reply. She shook her head at his lack of shame. Was there _nothing_ that could shake that man's emotions?

Genos stared at both of them-the girl he hadn't even noticed the presence of, until she stomped up to the bald man and started fussing at his state of undress. How did they both survive? By all means his reckless show of power should've destroyed them all, yet here they stood. Not a cinder on them. He needed to know more about these people.

"You sure made them bug out didn't you?" The bald man joked.

Kagome slapped her hand to her forehead, "Lame! I thought you'd learn better jokes by now." He grinned up at her and casually stretched his back out, giving them an all too good a view of the source of his manhood. "Cover up already, would ya? This isn't the bathroom you know!" The teen growled, averting her eyes away from the sight.

Then without warning the girl threw herself in front of Genos. Her arms stretched out, a thin veil of light shimmered in front of her. The young man was slightly surprised but before he could ask, his enemy had reappeared. With a single swipe of her inhuman hands, the mosquito-like woman shattered the barrier that separated them. Golden eyes widened as that limb drew ever closer to the girl in front of him. His body reacted out of instinct. His one good arm wrapped itself around Kagome before throwing her to safety. The blow meant for her sliced through him instead, tearing a good chunk of his torso.

"Are you alright!?" Kagome called out, struggling to stand. Her power was starting to weaken after using her barrier so much earlier. There wasn't much more she could do to help.

The woman's crimson eyes rolled to the teenaged girl's form. She smirked and pointed at her, "You're next girly. I just have to finish off your boyfriend first then we can have all the fun we want, woman to woman." A look of pure disgust washed over Kagome's face. Wait, what? What in the world was this mosquito-woman talking about?

Saitama's face drew into a deep scowl. Oh no, that was not going to happen. Not under his watch. As the source of all their problems dove to deliver the killing blow that'd destroy Genos, the naked man quickly intervened and slapped her. The force of the hit threw the creature's body into skyscraper not too far away, decorating its brick with her blood.

"Mosquitos suck." He commented dryly as Kagome rushed to the cyborg's side.

Cobalt eyes glanced over the damage to the boy's body, "Are you going to be alright? Where do you go to get yourself healed? I can take you there if you need." She rambled off, trying to shift his broken body into a more comfortable position.

The blond put his hand on her shoulder to still her movements, "I'll be fine. The doctor will be here soon to get me. There's no need to worry." Then he turned his fierce gaze onto the other man, "Your name was Saitama wasn't it? I heard your wife call you that."

The two sputtered, "She's not my wife!" The bald man spat, the look of horror flushing across her face. "She just turned eighteen two weeks ago! I'm not into jail bait!"

"Hey! Don't insult me!" Kagome growled as she turned on her brother-figure, "You could've just told him without being weird about it!"

She turned towards the cyborg, "My name is Kagome and yes, that's Saitama. He's my guardian." She smiled and asked, "So now that, that's out of the way, what's your name?"

"Genos." He answered simply, his eyes darting between the two of them. That'd make sense. There was a significant age difference between the two of them and the air of familiarity was that of siblings, not lovers. The blond glanced back over to the older man, "I want you to make me your disciple."

"Okay." Came the surprised reply. The dark-haired teen slapped her forehead again. Could her brother be anymore clueless?

Saitama looked at Genos, really looked at him. The boy's eyes burned with fire and he realized that he was serious.

"Come back tomorrow in one piece. We'll discuss it then." With that the bald man grabbed his ward and ushered her back home. He'd had more than his fair share of fun for the day. His stomach growled in protest as he pushed her faster towards their apartment. He was too damn hungry to deal with all of this right now. Pushing the kid off until tomorrow seemed like the best course of action.

"Understood!" Genos called out from behind them. The teen's voice was strong and full of determination.

Kagome cocked her head back and gave the boy a casual wave goodbye. He was unable to return it but his expression lit up that much more. She twisted her head to the opposite side and gave her guardian a stiff glare, "You're really just gonna leave him there by himself?"

Saitama shrugged, "He'll be fine. There isn't anyone around. Besides, you heard the guy. His doctor was already on the way."

She cocked a brow at him, "So do you really plan on taking him in as your disciple?"

The bald man shrugged, "Don't know. Now I want food damn it. Cook us some dinner woman!"

The teen laughed as they made their way back home. It was always food with her brother-figure. Nothing else ever seemed to stir him quite like the promise of a meal.

"Alright already!" She grinned, walking even faster than before. Her guardian was practically pushing her face first into the dirt in his eagerness to get home but she didn't mind. Kagome increased her pace and walked ahead of the man who had taken her in three years ago. She had a sneaky suspicion that he was craving oden tonight, or was that her growling stomach's suggestion? Either way, she was sure he was going to like it.

* * *

A soft knock at their door drew the young woman's attention. She smiled. Ah so he did come after all.

"Saitama-aniki, we have a guest!" She called out a little too happily. The bald man appeared and glowered at her.

"I'm sending him away." He grunted, pushing his way past her and into their entryway. Kagome smiled, sure he was. He'd only spent the whole night pacing and trying to decide on _how_ to get a guy like that to stay away. She hummed happily as their tea boiled over the stove. Ah, almost ready and just in time too!

The door creaked open and she heard her guardian whisper, "So you came." The door widened to allow the newcomer passage into the humble adobe.

"Welcome Genos-kun!" Kagome smiled from the kitchen, "I've got tea ready. If you wait a bit longer I'll have some lunch available soon too." The cyborg gave her his thanks as Saitama directed him to take a seat at their table.

The older man took a deep breath, "Drink your tea and then head home. I'm not interested in taking on any disciples."

The dark-haired teen shook her head. Well that was one way of putting it. She listened in as Genos suddenly began to ramble on about his past. It was pretty heart wrenching but she had to admit, that boy could certainly rattle on! She stopped as a familiar _ping_ hit the edge of her senses.

"Saitama-aniki, we have an intruder. He'll be coming through the ceiling in about ten seconds." The bald man ceased his rant of limiting one's sentence length. As expected there was a flash of power that alerted the cyborg to the intruders as well. Saitama took off through the open window, chasing down the culprit before they could do harm to his precious home.

It was then that Genos took to a defensive position, "There are two more outside. I'll handle those."

She hummed as the men disappeared. The sounds of some sort of fighting echoed from outside. The teen's brow creased, now where was that spice? She reached over the counter and smiled as she managed to find it. Ah, ha! Darn thing was trying to hide from her! Cobalt eyes lit up as something slammed into a building not too far away. The floor beneath her shook as her pan trembled at the shockwave. Steam wafted through the air elegantly. It was done!

She smiled and called out, "Saitama-aniki, Genos-kun! Lunch is ready!" Several screams erupted before the two men reappeared. Her guardian was covered in dirt but otherwise okay. Genos on the other hand didn't have a hair out of place. So strange.

The eighteen-year-old set three bowls of oyakodon in front of the hungry males. It was clear they had something on their minds so she chose not to say anything. Instead she refilled their tea and took her own spot in between the two of them.

Genos took mouthful of the rice and chicken. His golden eyes brightened before he devoured the entire thing. He glanced at her momentarily. The young woman smiled at his eagerness.

"There's more in the kitchen. Feel free to grab as much as you like." She pointed an index finger towards the covered pot resting on their stove. The blond nodded and padded off to retrieve another helping.

The rest of the time was spent in silence. Genos ended up grabbing two more bowls before feeling satisfied. Kagome had to hand it to him, he could really pack away his food!

"Thank you Kagome-san. I appreciate the meal," He bowed before her.

She waved at him, "No need to be so formal. Just use Kagome." He nodded.

"Right, master! We ought to track down those guys' hideout." The cyborg stated as he placed his bowl in the sink. Kagome collected hers and Saitama's and did the same.

"You're right. We should go now." The bald man agreed. Genos' eyes widened, surprised at the eagerness in his teacher. "We won't be able to go tomorrow because there's a big sale at the market."

The teen's face dropped. Oh yeah, she forgot about that. She was actually a bit surprised that Toushi let her off today. Then again she believed that this might've been his way of giving her some time off. Wait, did Saitama say tomorrow? The sale was today only.

"Actually Saitama-aniki that sale is to-" She was cut off as the front door opened and then slammed shut. The two men were gone. Again. Well that was a total bust. Though, there was one good thing. Her mind wandered to the blond-haired teen that had stumbled into their lives. Her brother now had people other than herself in his life. It would seem that the boy was not interested in going away any time soon and she doubted that Saitama was really willing to send him away. The girl smiled. Well things sure were about to get interesting around here. Judging by the way the cyborg looked at her guardian, she wondered how much longer it'd be before he asked to move in? Kagome nearly laughed at the thought. That would be a nightmare since she and Saitama were already sharing the livingroom space at night. They just pushed their furniture aside and set up two futons. This apartment was _definitely_ not big enough for the three of them. She shrugged. Oh well, they'd deal with that when the time came for it. As for now, she had a mountain of dishes to do.

Kagome smirked darkly at the pile of chores awaiting her. Now this was going to be the best part.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Two:**

Kagome stared. Not just normally either. She openly gaped at the sight that was now right in front of her. She knew it was rude but she couldn't help it. Blue eyes widened as her mouth hung up. Then she said it.

"What happened to your hair!?" She pointed at the now curly and frayed strands that stood up from Genos' head. The girl expected there to be fighting and that one might come back a little burned since the cyborg's power was fire, but this? This was too much. She tried hard not to laugh, she really did but in the end all she could do was hold her stomach as she cackled at the sight.

The young man's face dropped. Damn he had completely forgotten about that. They had been so wrapped up in getting everything they needed at the market before it closed that Genos had completely forgotten to straighten up. Perhaps this was a mistake. Seeing the way his teacher's ward was hanging onto the table for dear life and laughing like there was no tomorrow, he supposed so.

Saitama sighed, "Kagome-chan, you know that's rude right?"

"I-I'm sorry!" She stuttered between laughs. Taking a moment, she breathed deep. "Sorry about that Genos-kun. I just wasn't expecting it." A bright smile across her face the girl then gestured for him to follow her. "C'mon, let's at least fix your hair before you go." The blond complied silently. To be honest, he'd rather not show up at Doctor Kuseno's with such a horrid looking up-do. Plus, he was never that great at taming his hair, so just this once he'd let someone else do it. The bald man watched with eagle eyes as they meandered towards the bathroom. He didn't think that his new 'disciple' would do anything but still, he'd rather keep a close eye out on them _just in case_.

After the door slid closed, she turned on the facet and motioned for the young man to lean over. He obeyed and closed his one good eye to prevent water from falling into his vision. His sensors detected something cold cascading over the back of his neck and hair—insinuating that his companion had started on rinsing out his locks. The cyborg stilled as her hands suddenly came massage what was supposed to be his scalp. Her delicate fingers took care not to tug or pull too hard on the tangled tresses, fearful that it might cause him pain.

"I'll be fine. I have little sensitivity there." Genos replied. No sooner did he say that her hands were working more vigorously through the tangled mess of his hair. By the end of it, nearly every curl had been gently pulled free and back in its place.

Twenty minutes had gone by before Kagome and Genos emerged from the bathroom. His hair was wet, but for the most part combed back into place. The collar around his shirt was damp from the towel she had used to wrap around his neck.

"Thank you Kagome, I appreciate it." He stated, remembering her request that he not use any honorifics.

She grinned up at him, "No problem! Now you probably ought to get your eye fixed."

He nodded, giving her and his new teacher a formal bow. "Thank you." He stated once more before leaving their home. Kagome watched as his back disappeared through the doorway. What a kind person Genos was. She smiled then turned back to her guardian, only to see him scowling. Now where would that have come from, she wondered?

* * *

Genos returned to Doctor Kuseno's that night. The aging man was none too thrilled at the damage he had sustained during the battle against the House of Evolution. Though he was kind enough to keep his opinions to himself. Instead he listened as the teen rambled on about his sensei and the girl he met that day.

"Sensei killed her in one hit and that girl was able to sense an enemy attack even before I could," Golden eyes looked up at the man who had given him this second chance at life, "I've never seen anything like it."

The doctor nodded, "Ah I see. So am I to assume that this man has earned your upmost respect?" Genos affirmed his belief with a quick 'yes'.

"Though there is something that I find strange," The cyborg started as the older man fished around a box of spare parts. "The power I sensed from the girl, Kagome. It was different." Golden eyes narrowed contemplatively as Genos looked up at the ceiling composed of mostly wires and metal tubes. "It wasn't the kind of power you get from artificial upgrades or any inborn talent. It almost felt, raw?" He ended the statement with a question. How an attack could feel so _clean_ was an odd thought to him. Though the doctor didn't think much of it.

"There is a multitude of people in this world. Many have powers we can't even begin to understand. Your sensei and his ward being a couple that fall into that group," The man tapped his patient's knee with a metal instrument. It twitched in response. Good, those sensors were now fully functional. "Perhaps you should bring them by the next time you come back?" Doctor Kuseno suggested.

Genos was surprised, "To this lab? Are you sure?" He questioned. The doctor nodded. He didn't give the teen much explanation but rather informed him that his body was now repaired and that he was good to go.

The cyborg returned home for the night, thoughts of Saitama and Kagome on his mind. Who were they and why were they so strong? He was desperate to know. The young man turned over to his side and rested his head on his arm. Tomorrow he'd see what he could find out, for now he needed rest.

The following morning he found himself standing outside his teacher's doorway. He knocked thrice before the door swung open to reveal a dark-haired girl. She smiled up at him brightly, clad in a soft-blue dress and matching heels.

"Welcome back Genos-kun!" She moved aside to let him in fully. "Saitama-aniki isn't here now. He said that he had to deal with a few things first." The girl laughed as she gestured towards her shopping bag, "You actually got me as I was about to head to the market."

The blond glanced at her, "I'll go with you." It wasn't like he had anything else to do. Besides, this would give him the perfect opportunity to get to know her and his teacher a little bit better. Kagome's smile brightened considerably.

"Thanks so much!" She took his hand and led him out of the apartment. Only pausing to lock the door. "I wasn't sure if I'd be able to carry everything back by myself but now that you're here I can enlist you for help!"

The young man's countenance dropped a bit. Somehow, he had a feeling that was the main reason why she was okay with him tagging along. Though he didn't feel as irritated about it as he thought he should. Instead his mind traveled down to their interlocked hands. How long had it been since he experienced the touch of another person like this? It was… nice. The rest of the trip to the market was spent making casual conversation. They talked mostly about things that were mundane or useless, but to Genos, it was vital information. Everything he could learn about them the better.

* * *

An elderly lady squinted. Her grey eyes were hazy but she could make out the shapes of a familiar girl with an unfamiliar boy. Her senses were immediately on high alert. She pulled out the contraption that was called a phone. After several seconds of attempting to send a text message, she quickly gave up and dialed the most recent number.

"Mama Bear, I've got a sighting." The woman whispered silently. She pulled her scooter around the corner of the aisle but stopped, ensuring that the unaware couple did not detect her spying.

"What'd you find Little Grass?" A voice came through on the other line.

"Little-bird and a boy are in the shop. The boy's identity is unknown. I repeat Little-bird is with an unknown boy." The urgency in the elderly woman's voice was almost comical.

"Got that Little Grass. Keep an eye on them. Old Mama Bear is going to have herself a look see at this fresh meat." With that the line ended. The woman kept on her toes as the boy offered Kagome his arm. Her brows narrowed. The way he leaned towards her, the way his eyes didn't stray from her face… a chill shot down her spine. Oh my god he was into her! Red alert! Raise the flags! The little lady blared a silent alarm on her watch. The fellow customers all dropped what they were doing and immediately took to watching the couple meander through the store.

'Mama Bear' made her rapid approach. It was time to sink their fangs into this male and see exactly what he was made of.

Piercing cobalt eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of a cyborg escorting their most favorite girl. He didn't seem to be all that threatening but as age had taught her, looks could be deceiving.

Kagome laughed as Genos attempted, and miserably failed, to stop a rack of cereal from collapsing onto the floor in a heap of boxes. The boy had accidentally bumped into the side and watched in horror as the top of the boxes began to lean. He dove forward with outstretched arms. He managed to catch a few of the runaway items but the rest fell to the ground in a messy clutter.

The woman strained her ears, hearing Kagome's response of, "It's okay, I'll let Toushi know." She watched as her little bird wondered away from the boy. Good, now was her chance. She stalked up to the unsuspecting teen, eyes hard as she glared at him.

"Ah it looks like we got ourselves fresh meat." The woman commented as she crossed her arms over her bosom. Genos shot the stranger a sharp glare. Who the hell was this old woman and why was she trying to pick a fight with him?

The aging lady circled him like a predator. Her white curls bobbed as she cupped her chin and nodded her head.

"My, you are quite well _built_ ," The word was a pointed insult, "However I don't think I've ever seen little-bird bring you around. Might you be one of those unsavory males out to steal her innocence?" The blond suddenly found a pair of fierce cobalt eyes glaring into his own golden ones. What the hell was happening right now?

"I'll have you know that we've got you surrounded boy," She motioned to the crowd of elderly that seemed so harmless just moments before. They were now approaching him, their hands hanging onto strange devices that looked like weapons. If it weren't for the fact that he could smell the elderly woman's rotten breath, he'd be tempted to believe that perhaps this was all just a dream.

His shoulders squared and his eyes serious, Genos returned the woman's ferocity with a threat of his own. "Do you really think you can beat me with that frail body?" Now the cyborg hadn't intended on causing his teacher's ward any problems, but he wasn't one to stand by either as strangers accused him of disgusting things. He had more honor than to lower himself to the level that this woman was suggesting. The very thought that she'd even accuse him of it made him burn with fury.

The woman threw her head back and laughed, "My you sure do have more spunk than the last one. Let's see how long you can hold out for." She smirked at him. A dark feeling of foreboding overcame Genos. He believed that this person was going to cause a lot of problems in the near future.

* * *

By the time Kagome returned with her manager, the group had surrounded Genos and were on the verge of tempting him to let his canon loose on them. He attempted to take a step forward but she ran up and placed herself between him and the instigator. The boy's arms accidentally bumped into her back as he was still cradling the food items within his grasp.

"Kikyou-baa! Please, Genos-kun is Saitama-aniki's disciple! He just came with me today to help out!" The teen pleaded with the grandmother-like figure. Kikyou nodded her head reassuringly and patted Kagome on her back.

"Ah so that's who he is. Why he could've just said so, isn't that right Genos-dear?" The volatile woman shot him a pointed stare. He returned it a fiercer one of his own. It was irritating. It was enfuriating. It was unacceptable. Who did this woman think she was? He was sorely tempted to blow her away with a single blast of his fires, but there were two things that stilled his hand. The first was the fact that his teacher's ward was planted firmly in between them-perhaps hoping to keep the two from going at each others' throats. The second was the fact that he had no intention of tarnishing his reputation by attacking an elderly woman. For as frustrating to deal with as the old hag was, he wasn't going to let her rile him up. Besides, he didn't quite feel like explaining to his teacher later that night why his ward might be upset should he choose to do away with the witch entirely. His body chilled at the prospect. That was not a thought he enjoyed.

Though the blond chose to say nothing, he was reassured in the way that Kagome refused to leave his side that she knew exactly what these people were capable of. His anger subsided somewhat as she calmed the older woman.

"Please don't do that again Kikyou-baa, he's really not like that." The girl's voice was soft but there was an edge of exasperation. Perhaps this was normal here? His eyes slid to the ox-sized man that his companion had mentioned was her manager. Toushi cast a blistering glare at the old woman but said nothing. The reaction was all he needed to confirm that believe.

"Sister, you mustn't agitate every boy that comes near our little-bird. You might chase away her future husband." Another woman spoke up. She looked similar to Kikyou, but she seem to lack the edge of ferocity in her expression that her sibling had.

The other woman smirked and threw her arms around Kagome, "Ah, but that's all the better. It means that I can keep her all to myself."

"You may not." Genos finally spoke. "She is Saitama-sensei's ward. She is not yours for the taking." A bright flush of embarrassment crossed the girl's face.

Kikyou released her 'darling little bird'. She walked up to the cyborg. Her eyes glared at him stiffly before roaming freely over his body. He tensed in agitation. Who did this wretch think she was? Then, without warning, a wide smile spread across her face.

"I like you." She slapped him on the back, "You're the first who's had the balls to stand up to me. Good job kid!" Kagome buried her face into her hands. Oh no, this was not good.

Kikyou then wrapped her arm around his shoulders comfortably and smirked, "Now, when are you gonna take our little-bird out on a date?" Anger boiled beneath his exterior. His connection to Kagome and Saitama were absolutely none of her concern!

"I already told you Kikyou-baa! We're just friends! Don't be so pushy!" The girl huffed as she pried the older woman away from the furious teen. She had to commend him for being able to hold back so much. It wasn't every day someone could handle Kikyou's antics and _not_ lose their shit.

"Calm down little-bird! I was just having some fun!" Then she winked at her, "Besides, you know he's mighty fine. Might want to try a piece?" The girl's face flushed as she pushed Genos towards the counter, dozens of boxes of cereal still cradled in his arms.

"Sorry, Kikyou-baa! Gotta run!" With that, the two checked out and made a mad dash out of the store. Or rather Kagome was making the mad dash out of the store and pushing a very pissed off Genos in front of her. He cocked his head to the side as the girl attempted to make him leave. The cyborg pointed a single index finger at Kikyou and glared fiercely-silently threatening her. She laughed then took a seat up on her sibling's scooter.

"Damn, here I was hoping to set her up." The old woman snapped her fingers, "Guess I gotta trap them into it." She tapped her foot against the ledge of the motorized vehicle and smirked. Oh those two would be fun to play with.

Her sister shook her head, "You do realize that Kagome isn't quite ready to date again? Not after that last hound dog." There was a murmur of agreement. Even Toushi, who had been silently fuming the entire time, nodded. Indeed, it was way too soon.

Kikyou's smirk darkened considerably, "Then we just have to watch them. I don't think anyone is opposed to that idea?"

Kaede balked, "Watch? More like stalk." She pointed towards the stash of barely hidden weapons under the racks, "Keep the back up ready in case he pulls a double-cross like that hound."

After that group dispersed. Toushi glanced between the pile of cereal boxes that were left abandoned by Genos and the objects that had quickly become the bane of his existence. He swore, if his store didn't rely so heavily on that group to buy from them, then he'd have kicked them out long ago. He didn't need _another_ visit from a federal agency investigating an illegal weapons charge. That was a fiasco he'd rather not deal with a second time. Shaking his head, the ox-like man set to work on cleaning the mess the crowd left behind. Damn customers.

* * *

"Who were those people?" Genos queried, his ire still not yet gone. His jaw twitched at the memory of that vile woman spewing her venom at him. The very image made him want to burn something.

"That was Kikou-baa, Kaede-baa and their little band of friends." Kagome sighed as she interlocked her fingers with his again. It was such a strange contrast. Through the sensors that the kind doctor installed in his hand, he could feel the softness of her skin against the hardness of his artificial limb. The feeling brought up hazy memories of his parents holding his hand like this. It was so similar, yet so different. In that single moment he almost felt normal again. _Almost_.

She continued, "They're a lot of elderly folk who aren't keen on moving away from Z-city no matter how much it gets attacked. They've been hardened by monsters before and aren't afraid to give people the what-for." The dark haired teen sighed, "They've taken a bit of a liking to me and can be a bit overprotective. Lately they've gone so far as to call themselves the B.A.O.P Squad and have heralded a movement of chasing away any man who's come near me."

The blond quirked his eyebrows, "B.A.O.P. Squad?"

Kagome laughed, "It's short for Bad Ass Old People Squad." His expression deadpanned. Somehow that fit them perfectly. "Also, Saitama-aniki wasn't impervious to them either."

He looked at her curiously, "What do you mean? Wasn't he the one taking care of her? Why would they have a problem with him?"

Kagome shrugged but smiled, "I'm not sure what happened exactly but Aniki said that he would rather learn to fly over a burning volcano in one second than be near Kikyou-baa again."

Now the cyborg was intrigued. Did that woman really affect his teacher so much and in such a negative way? He'd have to get to the bottom of what the old hag did and avenge his teacher.

"Anyways, sorry you had to go through that. I didn't think they'd be there today." She offered an apologetic smile, "They're usually around much earlier in the day."

Genos shook his head, "Their behavior is not your responsibility." He meant every word he said. It wasn't her fault that the Kikyou woman was a senile old bat out for blood.

Kagome small smile grew into a wide grin, "Thanks! Now, lets go make some food I guess. Seems that due to the commotion that we only ended up getting cereal."

The blond bowed his head, "I apologize. I was not thinking when we checked out. I sort of took them with me." She laughed again and gently pat his shoulder reassuringly.

"No one can blame you for that! Now, let's just head back. I'm sure Saitama-aniki is home by now." They returned home in a comfortable silence. As he walked next to her he realized that that was the second time today she made him feel… _human_. How odd.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Three:**

Saitama whined pitifully as Kagome offered him a steaming cup of tea. She tried her best to keep a smile off her face, but seeing her guardian in this state made her want to laugh.

"Do you know what he said to me?" The bald man exclaimed to his student. Genos listened with rapt attention. "Never heard of you." Saitama threw his arms up in the air, "I've been fighting monsters for three years! You'd think I'd have a fan club by now but no one knows who I am!"

The blond tapped his chin, "Teacher, have you by chance registered for the Hero Association?" The man shook his head. What was the Hero Association in the first place?

Genos quickly ushered Kagome and Saitama to the computer where he pulled up the website. On it listed the current rankings of their members and how to join. The dark-haired girl whistled. So that's what that meant. She pointed a long index finger at a line at the bottom.

_All unregistered heroes will be treated as perverts._

Saitama's face deadpanned then he dropped his forehead onto the computer. Of course, so that's why no one knew who he was. He never even knew such a thing existed!

Dark eyes widened as he quickly turned to his disciple, "Wait does this mean you're registered as a Hero Genos?!" The thought that his pupil might have done something that he hadn't caused the man to feel anxious.

The cyborg shook his head, "No, I never felt the need to."

Kagome smiled, "Then why don't you try out?" She pointed to the next application date, "They're doing exams tomorrow if you want to give it a try."

Saitama immediately turned to Genos, "Take them with me and I'll officially make you my disciple!" The girl nearly slapped her forehead at the comment. Genos wasn't used to her aniki's antics, but she was. This was nothing more than an empty promise in order to bribe the young man into going with him. Despite all of his strength, Saitama did have two weaknesses. The first being food. The second, and more important, being his desire to not partake in something by himself. He was a bit odd that way, but Kagome didn't blame him. In fact she didn't have any room to criticize anyone anyways. She had her own bucket of issues to deal with.

"Yes sir!" The blond predictably agreed. As the events of the day wound down a bit, Genos took the time to inquire about something that peaked his interest. "Teacher," He started. His eyes watched as the bald man sipped at his tea but raised his brows at him—it was the silent signal for him to continue. "What happened between you and this Kikyou person?" Saitama's face turned stone cold.

"You met her didn't you?" For some reason it sounded more like a statement rather than a question. The cyborg nodded and encouraged his sensei to continue. "All you need to know is that she's evil as sin." The man's face darkened, "Word of advice, if you run into that wicked witch of the west again, get out quick. She will torment you in ways that you don't even want to _know_ existed." Golden eyes widened. Kagome laughed in her hand as she observed their companion swiftly pull out a notebook and write down her aniki's recommendation, word for word.

It was then that a familiar _ping!_ went off in her pocket. The dark-haired girl's face immediately soured. She knew that tone from anywhere. Saitama's body posture swiftly changed from laid back to fully attentive—he had heard the message's arrival as well. Blue eyes glared at the name lighting up on her device. What in the world could _he_ want at this hour? Instead of opening the text, she chose to silence the device and put it away. Saitama relaxed somewhat but his eyes followed her every movement. It'd be a cold day in hell before he let his ward get hurt again.

The cyborg took note of the subtle interaction between the two. He said nothing to them directly but his golden eyes kept glance back and forth between them. The only sounds that could be heard were that of Kagome's phone vibrating and Genos' pen scribbling across his journal.

"Should I answer it?" Saitama questioned as the phone continued to vibrate. It buzzed incessantly, creating a nice massage on the teen's leg. She shrugged at her brother-figure.

"I don't think it's worth it. I'm probably just going to shut it off for the rest of the night." The young woman silenced the device again, only for it to start vibrating once more. Her expression dropped. What the hell had gotten into the bastard? It wasn't like him to try to call her so much. Feeling the itch to pick it up just to scream at the person on the other end of the line, Kagome decided that it'd be best if she were separated from the communication device.

The dark-haired girl casually tossed it into Saitama's awaiting hands.

"You deal with it." She growled, stomping into the bathroom.

Genos watched her go, his brows arched curiously as his pencil continued to fly across the page. He'd ask questions later, for now he'd observe closely. The teen then turned to look at his teacher. How was he going to deal with this situation? It was obvious that Kagome didn't want to speak to the person who was desperately trying to call her. It was also apparent that his sensei didn't much care for that person either. Perhaps this would be a good time to gage his mentor's capabilities? The blond continued to observe silently.

Saitama's countenance steeled into one of impassivity, though there was a small glint in his eyes that tipped Genos off to the rage that welled beneath. The older man answered the call. At first he was silent, listening as a male on the other end rambled off.

_I'm so sorry. Let's talk. I screwed up._

The bald man was quite convinced that the invasive caller had no clue he was on the line with yet. So he remained quiet.

_You were right about Hotaru._

A brow twitched. Well no duh. His ward wasn't a dunce. She knew a sleazy girl when she saw one. Unfortunately the other person wasn't that smart.

_Can't it just be like old times? I miss you. Will you meet me tomorrow? How's seven?_

That was when Saitama decided to make his presence known.

"Hello again." Came the nonchalant reply. To the naked eye all was fine but the cyborg to feel the pressure of his teacher's rage beginning to swell. It was like a massive cloud had settled in the room and it was rather settling. He continued to note his observations.

Sounds of shocked sputtering and profuse apologies could be heard. If Genos didn't know any better, he'd say the guy on the other line was groveling.

"Ah yes, about that," The bald man's face turned serious, "You contact her again and I'll pay _you_ a visit. Am I understood?" There was more groveling before Saitama's face lightened up. "Good now that you know I'll leave you to do your thing. We're in the middle of dinner so if you don't mind, I'd rather get back to that. Good night Inuyasha." The phone call was abruptly ended. Genos quickly wrote down the name that had been mentioned. It was such a strange one. He'd have to be on the look out for that person. It was clear the male had, at one point, had some sort of relationship to Kagome. Though the details of what happened between them were still unknown. Perhaps he could get some information from his teacher?

He decided to try his luck.

"Is he a problem?" Genos inquired as he shut his journal. Saitama rubbed his temples.

"You could say that," The older man leaned back on one arm and flipped open one of his manga. "More like typical teenage male."

The cyborg didn't like the sound of that. Though he wasn't sure if it was because he felt like he was being included in that particular statement, or the insinuation of the action the other male might've taken in regards to Kagome. She was much too kind to be disrespected by hormone-driven men.

Saitama took a moment to glance over at his disciple. The boy seemed so straight laced but just in case he decided to go ahead and lay down the first ground rule.

"She's off limits." He looked Genos straight in the eyes, "If you want to continue to be my disciple, you will leave her be." For a moment, he thought that perhaps he was being too overprotective. However just one look at the spamgasm of text messages on his ward's phone reminded him of his failures.

"I had no intention of such a thing." Came the teen's reply. There was little emotion there but Saitama could tell that something changed within the teen. He chose not to think on it.

"Good." The bald man stated simply, "Then we won't have a problem." He turned away from the young man and flipped open his manga. The last thing he needed was his charge to get into a relationship with his self-proclaimed student. _That_ relationship would not end well and he wasn't too keen on picking up after the fallout.

The rest of the night was spent in an awkward silence. A feeling of unease came over Genos. Who was this Inuyasha character and what exactly did he do to Kagome? Though he wasn't interested in her in the way that his teacher was implying, she was still an important person to him now. He wasn't about to let someone hurt her, especially one, as his sensei hinted, who didn't respect her. The cyborg returned to look over his notes. Now what could he do to fish for more clues? There was much he still needed to learn. Her powers in particular were a point of interest to him. Perhaps he should spend a bit more time with her and ask her to a light sparring match? Though Genos wasn't sure how she'd take to that request. Maybe he should just ask her instead?

The girl in question reemerged from the bathroom. Her hair was loosely wrapped by a towel and she was dressed only in a tight fitting tank-top and grey sweat pants. The cyborg stood and gathered his items. It was getting late. Noticing that their guest was about to leave, Kagome entered the living room and gave him a brief hug goodbye.

"I'll see you tomorrow Genos-kun." She smiled at him. His eyes did not miss the slight pinch in her expression. "Good luck on the exams!" He returned her hug before departing from the cramped home. Inuyasha huh? He'd need to ask his sensei more about him. Details on the stranger's appearance would be a good start. If he were to take his position as Saitama's disciple seriously, then he'd need to be willing to defend the man's ward against all threats. Teenage males included.

Saitama stared blankly as Genos left. His eyes didn't miss the way the boy's gaze lingered on Kagome's form a bit too long. He wasn't sure, but he thought he caught the kid checking her out a few minutes ago as she came out of the bathroom. He felt his jaw twitch. Damn it, it was already starting again. The only thing that comforted the irritated male was the fact that the girl's phone had remained silent since the final phone call. At least that was one less problem he had to deal with at the moment.

The dark-haired teen sat next to her guardian. She was quiet but her eyes were downcast. The bald man fought the urge to sigh. Of course, it'd only been a couple of weeks since that monstrous blow out of a break-up. Kagome had handled herself as well as she could during the time but having the boy suddenly throw himself back into her life after everything that happened was a bit jarring. Saitama felt the beginnings of a headache. Why did teens attract so much drama?

Seeing the way she curled into herself, Saitama opened his arms for her. She took the offer and cuddled into his side. Kagome closed her eyes and relaxed into her guardian. For the last three years he'd been her rock and hard place. Her own family had disappeared since the last attack on Z-city and he was all she had left. Inuyasha calling her had brought up unpleasant memories. The hurtful words and accusations he had thrown her way about her lost family were the first that came to mind. She never knew that someone could ever be so cruel. Now, after everything was over and done with, he wanted to come crawling back to her. Cobalt eyes hardened. No way. She wasn't a fool. The bastard had only realized that he made a terrible mistake in running to the arms of the local whore. The fact that he was calling her most likely meant that he realized that she was doing to him what he had done to her so callously.

Her aniki has been against the relationship from the beginning. She had tried to heed his warning about the boy but Kagome was too blinded to see the signs. Now here she was, cuddling up into said brother-figure's side and trying her hardest not to cry. Damn, when did she get so weak? It wasn't like her to let some guy mess with her emotions like that. The whole reason she went into the bath earlier was to keep Genos from seeing her like this. That was the last thing she wanted him to bear witness to. It was already frustrating enough dealing with the emotions.

"Feel like playing a game?" Saitama offered, sensing the onslaught of unshed tears. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was the sight of her crying. This would only have been the third time he'd seen it. The last time was when Inuyasha had 'broken-up' with her. Though it was more like he tore her apart, broke her down and completely split her heart before throwing it back at her. The guy was a complete shit.

She laughed through the pain, "Yeah, why not. I always end up owning you anyways."

The bald man flashed her an arrogant smile, "Yeah right. Then what do you call our scores on Manlio Kart?"

"Hey no cheating! We're going to play something of my choosing!" She poked his chest with her index finger. Her aniki was way too good at that one game. There was no way she was going to let him pick one that he was unfairly awesome at. Instead she grabbed the first one that grabbed her attention.

"I'll start us off on this!" Blue eyes lit up as his expression dropped. Of course she'd choose the one he was the worst at.

Kagome settled herself under Saitama's arm comfortably as she played the first round of an online fighting game. Even if they weren't related by blood, Saitama was the closest thing to family she had left. He was more than just a brother to her—he was her best friend. The two spent the night laughing and crying out in frustration as they battled against each other in a game of wits. By the end of it all Kagome had thoroughly whipped her guardian into shape and he was left grumbling about 'unfair advantages'. The teen laughed again, Inuyasha completely gone from her thoughts. Now if only her life could be like this all the time.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing! Nothing I tell you!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Four:**

Kagome wandered the aisles of the market, her eyes surveying the products for their expiration date. With a cart already half-full she continued to search mindlessly for the ones that were no longer good to sell. Playing against her aniki last night had helped take her mind off of Inuyasha but as soon as she got to work she found her phone ringing off the hook. It would seem that the boy was aware of her schedule and thought that he could sneak it by Saitama. The girl took a can of soup dated to go out two weeks ago and dropped it noisily in the cart—uncaring of the racket she was making. Let the B.A.O.P. Squad hear her, if anything having them around would provide her with more protection against the eager hound (as the liked to refer to him).

Despite a clingy ex-boyfriend trying to get in touch with her, Kagome's mind wandered to her brother-figure and Genos. They were supposed to take the exams today to get into the Hero Association. She had no doubt that they could pass, but she was nervous for which rank they'd get. The teen knew that her guardian was stronger than anyone alive, but as she researched more into the process she realized that there was more than just a physical test. There was a written test as well. Now for as kind and strong as Saitama was, he wasn't the best at written exams. He mentioned before that he utterly sucked at them. Kagome hoped for the best and held her faith out for him. She found herself not worrying as much for Genos. For the little amount of time she had known him, she learned that he was both strong and incredibly smart. She had full faith in that he could easily enter the A-rank or higher through the exams. She smiled a bit at that thought. Genos really was a kind person, he just didn't like to show it to others. The way he tried to defend her honor from Kikyou-baa the other day proved that much. The teen felt her face heat at the memory. That was not something she wanted to relive either.

"Little bird!" Said woman cried out happily, running swiftly down the slick floors. Kagome ran over to her and quickly steadied her fragile body.

"Be careful Kikyou-baa! You're not as strong as you used to be!" The dark-haired girl reprimanded lightly. The older woman didn't give her any heed. Instead she wrapped her arms around the girl's neck and rubbed her cheek affectionately against hers.

"I missed you little bird! Where have you been?" The hug grew more intense as Kagome struggled to breathe.

"Kikyou-baa! Toushi always gives me my weekends off! You know that!" She pushed against the elderly lady lightly, not wanting to harm her or hurt her feelings.

Kikyou nuzzled her cheek against Kagome's head, "Nuh-uh, you just wanted some alone time with that robo cop of yours, didn't you?" She flashed the flustered girl a wide smirk, "I know you've got a thing for him!"

"Robo cop? Who are…" At that moment, Kagome's face resembled a very ripe tomato. "How many times do we have to say it? It's _not_ like that! Genos-kun is just a friend!" The girl dropped her voice a bit, "Plus I don't think he'd appreciate you calling him robo cop."

Kikyou's smirk nearly cracked her face, "Oh so it's _you_ who likes _him_. Well don't you worry child, you'll charm him into your good graces soon enough." Kagome thought she nearly passed out from shame.

Toushi appeared behind the two, his thick arms folded over his chest. "Get out. You're harassing my best employee." The teen was grateful for his interference. The older woman glared up at the ox. Sure he was mighty handsome but he was married. The man was taboo to mess with even by Kikyou's standards.

"Fine I'll leave for now, but I'll be back before you know it with the whole B.A.O.P. Squad and you won't like us then." She warned, flipping her white hair over her shoulder and purposely smacking Toushi in the face with it. The man growled but didn't move from his spot. He mustn't hit a customer. He chanted to himself over and over again.

The pair watched as the eccentric old woman left the shop. She mounted a scooter outside. With a single press of a button a couple of jets sprouted magically on the vehicle's side. Then, she was gone in a squeal of rubber tires and smoke. Kagome didn't think she could ever get used to that woman's antics.

Toushi sighed, "You should go ahead and take your half-hour." He patted her on top of her head gently, "You seem a bit tired today."

The dark-haired girl undid her apron. So he had noticed. That wasn't surprising given what happened last night. She returned to the break room, clocked out, and then proceeded to eat the bowl of oyakodon she had packed earlier in the day. She really needed to pull herself together. Going through the day as if she were in a fog was no way to live. The girl's eyes watched with interest as the broadcaster on the T.V. discussed the new series that the pro-hero Handsomely Masked Sweet Mask was going to do. Kagome blinked, she never cared much for that particular hero. He seemed like a two-faced spoiled brat from the interviews she saw of him. The rest of her break was spent in peace. She had long since turned her phone off and left it in her locker. Inuyasha could sulk by himself for all she cared.

Kagome washed her dishes quickly before putting them away. Once she had made sure that she hadn't left a mess, she retied her apron and clocked back in. Only three more hours left before she could go home. The prospect excited her. She really wanted to know what ranks her aniki and Genos made today.

The first half hour of work was for the most part peaceful. There were a small handful of difficult customers but Toushi had dealt them (usually including tossing them clear across the store to get the emphasize that he wasn't a pushover). Then the doors chimed and someone stepped into the market. Kagome turned, her usual 'retail smile' plastered across her face.

"Welcome! How are you tod…" She stopped mid-sentence. Cobalt eyes widened at the familiar person standing only a few feet away from her. This could _not_ be happening!

A silver haired male stood by the register he knew to be Kagome's. He scratched the side of his head before he caught her eye.

"Mind if we talk?" The young man asked. Though it was more of a statement than a question. He tried to approach her but she backed away, fire burning in her eyes. Then an idea hit her.

"What can I help you with today sir? Do you need some contraceptives for your lady back at home?" Inuyasha cringed and Kagome smirked. Oh yeah, hit him where it hurt the most. "Or perhaps she needs a pregnancy test? Sango mentioned that Hotaru wasn't feeling too good lately." The teen tutted, "My, you sure should learn to use protection." Okay so she wasn't exactly the prime example of good customer service, but right now she didn't care. She had a score to settle. Besides, Toushi was busy on a phone conference with Corporate HQ. He'd be gone for at least an hour before he could help her out of this mess. She was on her own here without the support of her aniki or the B.A.O.P. Squad.

The silver-haired male rubbed the back of his head, "I screwed up okay. No need to be rude about it." She nearly snorted at him. _Her_? Rude to _him_? Oh now that was a laugh! What she was doing wasn't _anything_ compared to what he did to her! She backed up a couple of steps as her ex-boyfriend tried to take her hand.

"I just want to talk." His golden eyes pleaded with her. Her cobalt ones bore into them like knives.

"No. I've nothing to say to you." She finally commented, aware of her power rising with her anger. Damn, she needed to learn to control that better. He step forward again, forcing her to take another step back. The teen cringed as she was forced into the shelving; she was trapped.

Inuyasha's hand came up to touch her face but was stopped. The girl's head snapped up. Without her ever knowing, Genos had shown up and now had the other man by the wrist. His grip clamped down harshly into the soft flesh of the other male.

"Keep your hands to yourself." The blond warned darkly, "She is not an object for you to manhandle as you please." With that the cyborg threw the man away from them. A dark bruise formed on the boy's skin-a reminder of not to touch what wasn't his. He pushed Kagome safely behind him as the stranger regained his balance. He felt her grip the shirt on his back. His anger rose by the small action. She was frightened. The way her hands trembled tipped him off to that much. The more she clung to him, the more he realized that he hated seeing her like this. It was time to correct the situation before it went any further.

He had only come here to speak with her about a few things, mostly about her power. He hadn't told her guardian where he was going or why, so he was by himself. Though he had a feeling that if Saitama had come then Inuyasha would have already been on his knees groveling for forgiveness. A ball of flame appeared in Genos' free palm. Guess he'd have to make that happen himself. Two pairs of fierce golden eyes clashed with one another. So this was the infamous Inuyasha that his mentor had mentioned. Perhaps he should give the boy a lesson in how to treat women? It was clear he had no class especially with the way he had tried to touch Kagome.

An unbridled rage grew within him. Seeing such filth try to touch her so gently made him furious. Now, it was time to prove himself a worthy disciple to Saitama. Fending off Kagome's stalker of an ex-boyfriend was a good way to start.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Inuyasha roared with fury.

"Genos!" Kagome cried as he took a step forward. She gently grabbed his arm and held him back, "Not here. It's not worth it." The blond watched as her eyes darted nervously around the shop. Of course, she didn't want her workplace to be damaged in the crosshairs. Well that was fine, he'd just take them somewhere else. Fully intending on taking the fight outside, he tried to move forward but found himself being held back by her vice-like grip.

As he tried to pry her grip off of him, she suddenly came out from behind and pressed herself against him. Her hands pushed against his chest as she tried to keep him from attacking Inuyasha. The fire in his hand went out—a precaution against causing unintended harm.

"Don't worry about it. He's not worth the effort." Kagome tried to calm his wrath. "Look at me!" She growled out as the cyborg continued his glaring contest. Hearing her voice he stopped and did as she asked, "Don't let him rile you up. It's not worth it." She repeated. Of course it was worth it. What was she talking about? Not letting someone treat her so shabbily was worth every bit of effort!

Inuyasha glowered, "What do you mean 'not worth it'?" He stomped up to the couple, "What's gotten into you and who the fuck is this guy?" The silver haired teen jutted a thumb in the cyborg's direction, "You already hooked up with someone else? It's been two fucking weeks! How easy are you?" Inuyasha attempted to grab her from Genos. It was in that moment something snapped within the blond. His arm wrapped itself securely around her waist to ensure that the male couldn't take her. Then he twisted his body and threw his punch into Inuyasha's face. It collided with his cheek, the sickening crack of a bone breaking echoed in the market. Genos morbidly wondered how many bones he'd get the chance to break to get the picture across.

Kagome's face was beet red as he held her tightly against him. There it was again. The stark contrast of her body pressed flushed against his made him remember his humanity once more. Softness and steel. It seemed so foreign yet familiar to him.

Toushi came rushing back down at the sound of the commotion. The phone in his hand long forgotten. The ox-man's eyes took in the devastation that Genos' punch had created. Inuyasha was lying unconscious on the floor after having been sent flying clear across the entire market. Shelf after shelf had been knocked over and products were lying in heaps of rubble.

"That mother fucker!" The man roared as he picked up the boy. He casually dragged him outside and called an ambulance. If Inuyasha hadn't already been knocked out, he'd have given him a beating as well! Kagome's manager then turned onto them. He deflated somewhat at the sight of her being held so protectively by the cyborg, but that didn't excuse him of the mess.

"You!" He pointed a finger at Genos, "Will clean this immediately." The teen nodded in agreement. Sure he could do that. Besides he wasn't about to let his teacher's ward stay here by herself after that fiasco. The only thing that bothered him now was what to do in the upcoming weeks. As a new S-rank Pro Hero he wouldn't have much time, so who was going to pick her up from work and make sure she was safe from that bastard?

"Genos?" Kagome asked as she realized that he hadn't let go of her yet. Instead his arm suddenly tightened around her waist. She blushed. She knew that their relationship wasn't like what Kikyou or the others had been suggesting, but that didn't that she was dead! He was handsome and he was holding her very intimately. Of course she'd feel _something_ about that. Try as she might, she couldn't keep the pink from her cheeks.

Sensing her discomfort, he released his hold on her, "Sorry, I caused you trouble."

She shook her head, "You helped more than anything." The young woman flashed her friend a smile, "Thanks! I owe you big time!" Genos nodded and returned her smile with a small one of his own. At least she wasn't angry with him. Golden eyes turned to the mess. Now all he needed to do was fix everything before she got off of work. He glanced at his time. Two hours left. That was more than plenty for him. With that the young man set to work.

* * *

"You sure it was a good idea letting Inuyasha go in there?" Kaede peered over at her sibling.

Kikyou waved her hand, "It's all good. Robo cop was following in right behind him." She gave a cocky smirk as she twirled a pistol around her finger, "Besides, it was about time the kid staked his claim and gave Inuyasha the boot."

Kaede's countenance deadpanned, "Sister, they've only known each other for a few days. I sincerely doubt that, that Genos boy will be 'staking a claim' so soon." Really, why did she get cursed with such a sibling? Living with her had been total hell when they were younger. Now that they were old things only seemed to have gotten worse. Only their older brother had the power to get her somewhat in line. Though even his ability to do so was quickly fading. She was becoming far too hard-headed for her own good.

"To the contrary," She pointed to the disaster that was now left in the cyborg's wake, "He wouldn't of done _that_ if he only felt friendship towards her." She tapped her foot against the ledge of the scooter, "That was possessiveness. Even if robo cop doesn't understand the feeling himself, it's definitely still there." The old woman put away her binoculars and gestured for her sister to start driving. "C'mon we need to plan for the next time the hound appears." With the pistol holstered in its proper place (her bra), the two took off into the sunset. There was so much to do and so little time.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Five:**

Saitama stared blankly at the two teens across from him. Kagome was fidgeting nervously and her face was flushed. Genos on the other hand seemed outwardly calm, but there was a tension of anger that still clung to him. His shoulders were stiff and he had nearly snapped his chopsticks in half on multiple occasions during their meal. Dark eyes watched as the girl cast a sidelong glance towards his disciple before returning to her food. He did not like this turn of events. Kagome was not one to express such behavior. She was acting like some love-drunk middle school girl. _Something_ happened today and he was going to find out what.

"So how was work?" Saitama started, noting the way his charge jumped a bit. Kagome nibbled on a small bit of her udon noodles.

"Um, well you could say that it was interesting?" Her voice went up a few notches. Yeah, she was nervous but what for? Cobalt eyes snuck another look at Genos anxiously. Having known her long enough, he was aware that it was a silent command for help. Her response was the sound of chopsticks snapping in two within the boy's grasp. It seemed that he wasn't able to keep himself in check anymore. Something definitely happened today. The blond casually tried to brush off the incident by standing to grab another pair. If Saitama didn't know better, he'd have said that Genos was _stomping._ The floor shook beneath the bald man's bowed knees. Yup, he was stomping alright. So what exactly pissed him off so much and made Kagome so skittish around, and dare he say it, _infatuated_ with him?

"Interesting?" The new hero fished for answers. The cyborg turned his face up from his bowl to give his teacher the most intense stare he could muster. There was a flicker of an emotion within those golden eyes that he couldn't quiet place.

"Inuyasha went to Kagome's place of work to speak with her." The cat was out of the bag. Saitama felt something akin to rage bud beneath the surface.

"Do tell." Came the deceptively calm comment. Inside he was seething. The bastard had tried to sneak past him already? The fact that Genos was explaining everything to him tipped Saitama off that he had met the hound personally. Considering his overbearing nature, he suspected that the teen had done something rather extreme to ward away the unwanted visitor.

The older man didn't miss the way his pseudo-sister's face turned three shades darker within an instant. His previous belief of Genos fending Inuyasha off through some act of violence seemed to be founded in reality. That was the only thing she ever really seemed to respect anymore due to Kikyou's involvement.

"I had stopped by on the way home and that _person_ ," The word was spat with such venom that the new hero thought it might be a bit dangerous to be near Genos, "Was disrespecting her wishes."

"How so?" This time he turned to look at Kagome whose face had both paled and soured at the mere mention of the incident.

"It was the same as those text messages he sent last night." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away. Dark hair fell into her face but she didn't bother to move it. This was not a conversation she really wanted to have at the moment. Besides the memory of her aniki's disciple holding her so close brought up conflicting emotions within her. She closed her eyes and willed the images away, "He was being his usual hound dog self and wanted to get back. Though Genos-kun ended up taking care of that one for me!" She flashed the cyborg a bright smile. Regardless of what she was feeling, the teen knew that she'd be forever grateful for the interference.

The boy's golden eyes softened slightly at the expression she made at him. Saitama continued to stare blankly. So he was right. Kagome had gotten into a pinch with a horny Inuyasha and Genos likely beat the crap out of him. Well, that answered most of his questions. Now he just needed to know what the guy did to have Kagome so smitten with him. Even now she could barely take her eyes off of him. The bald man slurped at his soup; noodle broth flying across the air. It landed harmlessly on Genos' face, just under his eye.

The blond didn't react. Instead he glared at him fiercely, "Inuyasha will not be coming around for some time. That I will see to personally, sensei."

Saitama nodded. Sure, have fun with that. Though the rise of paternal protectiveness reared its head. He'd let them explore this new aspect of their 'friendship' but he was definitely _not_ going to allow them to date so soon. It was far too early for that for many different reasons! Dark eyes moved between the two teenagers. It was clear that they were starting to become interested in each other but one seemed much more oblivious than the other.

"Oh!" Kagome began as she grabbed the leftover plates, "I forgot to ask because of all the excitement, but what ranks did you guys get?" Genos gently grabbed the dishes from her and made his way to the kitchen sink.

"S-Class Rank Seventeen." Came his short reply. The cyborg refrained from boasting. He had no interest in showing off while his teacher was still stuck so low on the totem pole.

"Really? That's awesome Genos-kun!" Kagome grinned as she threw her arms around his neck in a friendly hug. He gently touched her elbow in a wordless show of appreciation.

Saitama fought the urge to glare. When did they get so handsy? Had he missed something by not following Genos to the market? He'd need to keep an eye on this.

Kagome let her arms drop to her side and casually moved to sit next to her guardian. The man threw his arm around her shoulder comfortably as she snuggled into his side.

"What about you?" She asked a little more quietly.

Saitama shrugged, "Dead last in C-rank."

Blue eyes bugged out of their sockets, "Dead last? But why? You're so strong!" The young teen turned and squeezed his ribs with all of her might. The bald man rested his head against the wall of their shared living room.

"It's cause I suck at written exams."

Kagome's countenance became nearly dangerous, "Why that's ridiculous! You're stronger than most of the heroes in S-Class currently!" She waved over at the blond, "No offense Genos-kun!" Said boy didn't seem too bothered by the comment.

"I'll talk to them first thing in the morning!" The ferocious teen stood up quickly. Saitama's arm fell limply from her shoulder to the ground. Now he was certain that she'd been spending too much time with his 'disciple'. They were starting to rub off on each other!

He raised his hand, "No thanks. I don't need to be embarrassed by the two of you."

Black brows raised upwards into a matching set of bangs, "Are you sure about this aniki?"

The C-Rank Hero nodded, "Yes. Now sit down. It's time for some Manlio Kart!" Kagome started to protest but Saitama interrupted her by throwing the controller at Genos. The young man caught it and stared at his teacher curiously.

"You and me in a man-to-man battle!" The older of the two smirked arrogantly. Oh yeah, he'd own the kid's ass. _No one_ could ever beat him in this game! Kagome settled by her brother's side. Black hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned into Saitama's shoulder. The cyborg accepted his challenge and she watched in amazement as the impossible occurred.

The bald man stared in horror at the words written on the screen. GAME OVER.

"How did you beat me!?" He turned towards his disciple in utterly horrified shock.

Genos shrugged, "The game was likely set on easy." His expression turned serious once more, "Did you forget to disable all handicaps? Perhaps that could be another reason."

The C-Rank Hero grouched. No, he had made sure that _all_ handicaps had been taken off of the game. That was why Kagome was so frustrated with him. He was absolutely ruthless. But now, there was someone else even more cutthroat than he was in Manlio Kart. He needed to train more.

When the clock struck ten, the cyborg went to gather his journals and other personal objects. Kagome was quick to help him and followed the teen to the door. They said their goodbyes but before Genos left, he cast a quick glance over at his teacher.

"Sensei! I do have one request." He began. Saitama stared over at him curiously. Well that was new. "Tomorrow, would you mind if we sparred?"

The bald man shook his head, "Not at all. I'll see you then!" He waved at the teen. Kagome slowly closed the door behind Genos as he left for the evening.

"I was wondering when he'd finally ask you to fight him," The girl started as she rubbed her chin. Her brother-figure didn't say anything. Instead he put away their controllers and opened up another manga. It'd been his most favored past time as of late.

Kagome paused as her phone went off. For a moment she was anxious that it might've been Inuyasha attempting to get into her good graces again however the name that flashed on her screen made her relax. She opened up the missed messages and smiled.

_Rumor has it that you've got a new man. Spill!_

The dark-haired teen laughed at her friend's antics. Sango had never been a huge fan of Inuyasha either. In fact she had nearly mowed the guy over with her car when she discovered the details surrounding their break up. The teen nearly cringed at the memory. That was about a week ago now. She didn't want to think what she'd do if she found out that he had tried to contact her again! Kagome was quick to reassure the other girl that no, she was not in a relationship with Genos. She went on to detail exactly how she and her brother met the cyborg. The two girls texted for close to an hour. Most of the conversation was about Genos and a few other smaller topics like Miroku's perverted nature. Then Sango dropped the bombshell on her.

_Well even if you aren't dating I still want to meet him. Bring Genos by the day after tomorrow! We'll meet at the usual spot!_

Kagome fought the flush that threatened to spread across her cheeks. It wasn't that she was opposed to the idea of introducing her teacher's new disciple to her friends, but their normal hangout spot wasn't exactly appropriate for 'just friends'. Blue eyes darkened. It was actually a casual group date type of area. Was this another one of Sango's little schemes to get her to go out with someone? That girl was far too similar to Kikyou-baa for her own good! Hopefully she wouldn't pick up the habit of calling him 'Robo cop' either!

The girl avoided answering her friend. She'd have to talk to Genos first and see when he'd be free (or even willing to go in the first place). Kagome sincerely doubted that he'd be all that interested in meeting her group of rag-tag friends so she didn't think there'd be much of an issue. The alarm tolled when midnight struck. She offered a good night to Sango before moving to get ready for sleep.

The young woman gave Saitama a quick kiss on his cheek good night. She took off into the bathroom where she slipped out of her day clothes into a comfortable pair of night shorts and matching black tank top.

Morning came quicker than she had anticipated. The teen barely felt as if she had slept at all! Saitama was sprawled across his own futon; mouth agape and a small dribble of drool falling down to his chin. She sighed.

She stood slowly, stretching out the sore and aching muscles in her back. Blue eyes opened as the familiar buzz of Toushi's text tone went off.

_Think you can cover for Kishi? Guy called out today._

Kagome glanced over her schedule and cursed. She had less than thirty minutes to be at work! She'd do it of course (mostly because she needed the money), but it was still a hassle. The young woman gave her manager a quick, affirmative response. Afterwards she rushed to the bathroom and swiftly dressed and prepared for the day. By the time she had slipped on her shoes, Saitama was sitting up and watching her with sleep bleary eyes.

"Weren't you off today?" He asked through a loud yawn.

"I'm taking someone's shift. I'll be back in the afternoon!" Kagome gave her guardian a hug before running out the door. Perhaps if she ran she'd make it in time?

Saitama stared as the door swung shut. Strange girl. Then again he didn't have any room to criticize. Dark eye shifted to the kitchen and disappointment filled him. Kagome forgot to prep their food. Damn, now he'd have to cook for himself. The young man turned over on his side. Well he guessed he could deal with the taste of over cooked rice and burnt miso for a few hours. It was the only thing halfway decent he could make anyways.

* * *

Kagome smiled brightly as a familiar couple entered the shop. They were one of the oldest in the B.A.O.P. Squad. Even in their age they still showed a great deal of affection for one another. The wife, Aiko, smiled up at her husband, Hiro, as she threaded her fingers through his. He returned her smile as they disappeared down the bread aisle. They never really talked much but they were often too busy staring into each others eyes and enjoying each others' company to really bother much. To Kagome, they were the cutest couple in the world.

Cobalt eyes lightened up at the display. It was time to get back to work. She only had a few more hours left and both Genos and Saitama had messaged her earlier. They were apparently going to pick her up after their sparring match and they'd all go out for some Udon afterwards. The thought made her excited. It'd been several months since she'd been out with her guardian like this. It'd also be the first time that Genos would be joining them. Her mind went back to the blond. He had done so much for her already when there was no reason for him to. Perhaps she should give him some kind of gift? She glanced around the market as she made her rounds to check for expired product. So far they didn't have too many sales and her normal cash supply was running low. Her gaze was drawn to a sketch pad and set of artistic supplies.

Now Kagome wasn't one to pry but during the times that Genos was over at their home, she had caught sight of him sketching something on his notebooks. She never really knew what it was but she chose not to pry. Perhaps having a proper sketchpad would be more beneficial for him? She picked up the items and dropped them in a basket by her register. She'd buy them on her break and bag them so he wouldn't see them when they picked her up. It'd be a nice surprise for later during dinner. The teen smiled to herself, happy with the choice.

"Little bird! Have you roped Robo cop into a date yet?" Kikyou smirked as she drove up to the girl on her notorious scooter. Kagome laughed and shook her head, again reiterating to the eccentric woman that she was not dating Genos.

Kagome sighed, though a laugh rolled from her lips still, "Kikyou-baa-chan, I've just broken up with InuYasha. It's much too soon for me to date anyone else!" She scanned Kikyou's items, noting that nearly half of products were her favorite chocolates. Most of them were dark chocolate assorts filled with different flavors. The most common was caramel. That woman was a serious chocoholic! The register beeped with confirmation, ringing up bright numbers within the thin, though tired, monitor. Poor thing had seen many gunfights, angry consumers, and general chaos inside this store during its short period of time. It was a wonder that it still worked after it'd been tossed across the market and into a wall before!

Kikyou blew a raspberry, waving a hand, immediately correcting Kagome's derailing thoughts, "Excuses, excuses! Just jump his bones already! Even with my old eyes I can tell that he most definitely wants you!" She then leaned over the counter and whispered secretly, "Besides, I know that you really want him too. Otherwise you wouldn't have let him hold you like that when Inuyasha dropped by the other day."

Kagome couldn't even scan the last item, her jaw slacked at the old woman's lewd suggestion, "Kikyou-baa-chan! How can you says such things like this in public?!" The said old woman chortled, and Kagome scoffed again, forcing her suddenly-numbed hands to scan the last oversized exotic chocolate bar, "Besides, it wouldn't be fair for either of us! I don't want or need a rebound!" With a bite behind her words she went to pack up Kikyou's groceries, with the hope that she would let this drop.

But she knew too well that the old crazy woman wouldn't.

"You're not denying that!" Kikyou hooted.

"Denying what?!" Kagome huffed, setting down the last bag on the countertop, "And that will be 2900 yen, please."

The white-haired woman smiled as she dropped exact change in the girl's hands, "You never denied liking him." With that she was gone in a flash of smoke. Tires squealed as she peeled out of the market. It was then that a thought hit the girl. How did Kikyou know about the incident between Inuyasha and Genos? Had she been watching the whole time? The girl fought the urge to sigh.

Then the doors sounded again, announcing the arrival of another customer. Kagome swiftly put her 'retail smile' back on and faced the newcomer.

"Hi, how are you today?" No sooner did she finish her sentence that a familiar pair of crystal eyes stared back at her in determination. The teen suddenly felt the need to leave early. This would not end well.

"Kagome!" Kouga called out, rushing past the entrance and to her side. She dove over to the other aisle—not missing a beat as the young man turned his head from side to side, looking for the girl that suddenly disappeared from sight.

"Kagome! I just want to talk!" The dark-haired teen yelled. He went from one aisle to the next, desperately searching for the her. Kagome on the other hand ducked back and forth, playing a rather childish game of 'hide and run from the stalker'.

She opened up her phone and pulled up Kikyou's contact. Toushi was gone for the day as a personal emergency had come up and she was the only one on shift for another half hour. Genos and Saitama likely wouldn't show up for another hour after that (well Genos at least, he seemed to like to watch her work). So that just left the B.A.O.P. Squad for back up. The girl ducked again as Kouga dove between the two aisles that she was hiding between.

_Blue alert. Wolf on the loose! Send all available Squad members!_

After the 'swoosh' of the message being sent, Kagome made a mad dash to the back office only for an arm to wrap itself around her waist-trapping her against the hardness of a male's chest.

"Let go!" She writhed, slamming her elbow hard into Kouga's ribs. He grunted and his grip loosened, but didn't release her entirely. Another wave of power rose within her. Without thinking she blasted it outwards, throwing the man several feet back.

"Damn Kagome!" Kouga growled, "Was that really necessary?" He held his torso and cringed painfully. That girl could certainly pack a punch!

"Don't touch me you jerk!" She screeched, pointing a long finger at him. "I already told you that I wasn't interested! So keep your hands to yourself mister grabby!" He made a move towards her but she threw a can of tomato soup at him. The canister smacked his forehead. The force of the hit caused the canister to split apart, covering his face and clothing in the red liquid.

That brought out an eerily familiar hooting laughter and Kagome bit back a whimper when she recognized who it was. Great. How nice. It was lovely. A pervert wolf AND a numb-skull dog. In the very same aisle. Circling around their sought after prey. Her. She always was 'the' prey.

InuYasha's grin was painfully etched across his darkly bruised face-which was at the courtesy of Genos the other day-at the sight of tomato-sauced wolf, "That's my woman, alright! Back the fuck off you flea-bitten bastard!"

Kagome spat, "I'm not your-" She was cut off.

"Your woman, InuTrasha?" Kouga snarled, wiping away the scarlet liquid from his eyes, "You were the one who ditched her in a god damn ditch to some damn WHORE! What kind of a man are you?!" Kouga jeered, rising the dog's ire.

Kagome would be happily content if she could _just_ step away and let them kill each other. Kill two birds with one stone, as they say. But both idiots were at least smart enough to grab each of her arms, and gripped her painfully. Their sharpened nails, it was some kind of fashion thread to file the nails down to sharp points lately, pierced the fabric of her shirt through to her skin beneath painfull.

"At least I don't try to rip off her pants off of her, you fucking horny wolf!" InuYasha pulled himself closer to Kagome.

Kouga pushed toward the bruised faced baboon, "Hey she's fucking sexy! Besides, I don't cheat on my woman!" The girl shivered. Oh yeah, she nearly forgot about that incident until her ex just reminded her. The second time she had ever met Kouga he had tried to, _literally_ , get into her pants. Thankfully her aniki was smart enough to have enrolled her in self-defense classes so she used those skills to ward the horny teenager away. The teen could barely walk for a week straight after she was done with him. It took him another month before he could look her in the eyes. However that new attitude adjustment hadn't lasted long. Instead he chose to follow her around everywhere and proclaim to be her man. All the while her aniki was forced to chase him off nearly every night until he finally put the brakes on the behavior by threatening to smash the boy's genitalia until it was nothing more than mashed up goop. Needless to say, Kouga swiftly changed his mind about his pursuit of her… that was until today. She supposed that word of her break up with Inuyasha had gotten around. Damn it.

Kagome couldn't even breath, let alone lash back at the feuding males. She was being squashed in between those two gentlemen. The girl cringed as their chests pushed into her. She would rather to be very, very far away from them. She only whimpered in midst of their petty, roaring arguments. They were certainly not all that clever with their insults. She heard Genos say more interesting things during his rambling spells.

She let out another whimper. They froze at the series of clicking sounds. The next second InuYasha and Kouga saw a large number of red dots at each other's forehead. They began to sweat, but neither budged from releasing their trembling 'prize'.

A deep, feminine voice boomed loudly through a megaphone, "STEP AWAY FROM THE GIRL. I REPEAT, STEP AWAY FROM THE GIRL." It was Kikyou. Her face was drawn into what could be called a battle-ready expression and she was dressed in black military gear. In fact, the rest of the crowd surrounding her were clad in a similar fashion. Their hands gripped their BB guns as they moved to surround the arguing teens.

Stubbornly, the idiot males refused.

"SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DO NOT RELEASE THE HOSTAGE." Kikyou growled again. _No one_ messed with her Little Bird and lived to tell the tale! Her sharp eyes narrowed at the dark-haired male currently pressing his chest and groin into her baby girl's backside. She knew of this one. She had liked him even _less_ than the hound. She motioned for her group to aim at him. He'd be first on her shit list.

A boom snapped and Kouga gave out a high-pitched cry, jolting away from Kagome to rub his rear. For a good measure, Kouga was riddled few more hits, before he bowed over into the puddle of tomato soup with his hands cupping in between of his loins.

Kagome broke free from them and dashed across the market into Kikyou's awaiting arms. The older woman hushed her as she trembled in her grasp. Kaede approached and quickly took her to the back of the B.A.O.P Squad's force. With their precious girl out of the way, the group refocused their efforts on chasing the unwanted males away.

"You were given fair warning!" The white-haired woman snarled as she raised her hand. Dozens of BB's were raised in the air. "Ready? FIRE!" She yelled. A hail of pellets flew through the air followed by the woeful cries of Inuyasha and Kouga being bombarded by their attacks. "Use more firepower! Bring me my rifle!" Kikyou snapped again. From behind her a slightly older male approached from behind. He was dressed in a casual button up T-shirt and loose fitting pants. His hair was gray from age and his face seemed to carry a weight of stress to it. Kagome watched curiously as he stepped in front of the raging woman. This wasn't going to end well…

* * *

Saitama pulled back and lightly tapped his disciple on the forehead.

"Let's go eat!" the bald man smiled, unaware of the shock that Genos was currently experiencing. The blond turned and glanced at the destruction that lay behind him. For as many upgrades he was willing to put himself through, the cyborg couldn't even picture himself getting anywhere near close to his teacher's overwhelming strength.

"Oh hi Suikotsu! How're you today?" His sensei suddenly piped up, his phone cradled in his hand. Genos watched curiously as the man's face slowly started to drop into a deep scowl. "Oh he did, did he? Not just Kouga but the other one too?" The man's brows furrowed into a face that was near frightening. "Oh I'll be there alright. Genos and I will deal with the situation when we arrive, rest assured of that." Saitama hung up his phone and turned to face his student. For a brief moment, Genos wasn't ashamed to admit that he was fearful of the face his teacher was making at him.

"We've got to go pick up Kagome-chan." His cape flapped ominously in the wind, "Apparently Kouga and Inuyasha returned to the market."

Golden eyes narrowed. Inuyasha? Hadn't he already dealt with the bastard? Perhaps he needed to be more _firm_ with the untoward male this time. Then a thought hit him.

"Who's Kouga?"

The bald man pinched the bridge of his nose, "Think Inuyasha times twenty. Let's just say that he's very _grabby_ with her." The older male's expression darkened, "If you ever see the guy, do me a favor and bust his ass. I still owe him a good beating for the last time he came around."

The cyborg was genuinely curious. Worse than Inuyasha? Grabby? He wanted to know both because he was curious and because he needed to know how extreme of a punishment he needed to dole out. One broken bone wasn't going to be enough. Perhaps five broken ribs and a third degree burn to cover his entire body? Yeah, that sounded good to him.

"Let's go. The witch's squad of goons has already pinned them down but I'd rather get there before it all ends." Saitama dropped his voice, "I have a score to settle." The earth shook beneath the hero's feet. Two people would pay dearly for daring to harm his ward.

* * *

Suikotsu glared at his sister, "You've done enough Kikyou. Kagome-chan is safe now. I've already contacted Saitama. He's on the way here to retrieve her." The man then turned a steely gaze onto the boys writhing in pain on the floor, "If you two wish to have your lives spared then I suggest that you leave immediately. Saitama-san was not enthused when he heard about your appearance today. It'd be best if you clear out before he gets here."

"Too late for that now." A furious Saitama stood at the entryway. He quickly grabbed his charge from Kaede and stared down at Kouga and Inuyasha. They had crumbled to the floor and were covered in tomato sauce. The thick goop of the product had been smeared all over the floor and created a rather graphic scene. Genos moved past him, his shoulders were stiff and his eyes burned furiously.

"It seems breaking one bone wasn't enough," The teen stepped forward, cracking the joints in his metallic knuckles. "Perhaps I should break the other as well for you to get the picture?" Inuyasha shuddered from the floor. Oh hell no! He barely got over the last punch!

The bald man stared between them. Oh so that's what happened! Damn he couldn't tell that the kid had actually _broken_ Inuyasha's bone. It looked more like a really hard punch with the way the bruise had swelled. Seems that the hound had a really fast healing rate. Well they'd just have to fix that now wouldn't they?

"Aniki!" Kagome cried out as she buried her face into his chest. Saitama wrapped an arm around her protectively as he glared over at the males.

"Hey Genos, I'm going to leave them to you this time. I'm taking Kagome back home!" He called out over his shoulder. Sure he wanted nothing more than to beat the ever-loving shit out of the men who dared to harm his sister-figure, but right now she needed his support more. Besides, from the way that his disciple was acting right now he doubted that the teen would let him get the chance to jump in. The fires of hell raged behind the cyborg as he stalked up to the two teens. The C-Rank Hero fought the urge to sigh. Yet another suitor after his baby girl, when would they cease to appear? They left to the chorus of bones breaking and terrified cries.

The B.A.O.P. Squad remained, cheering on the 'robo cop' as he casually tossed Kouga to the other side of the market. Items flew everywhere and Inuyasha quickly followed suit.

"Get 'em! Protect your woman!" The bald man briefly heard Kikyou scream passionately. There was a victorious roar from the crowd as the sound of something slammed into the building. It seemed he made the right choice in letting Genos handle those horny fiends. He was quite the punisher!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Six:**

Genos glared down at Inuyasha and Kouga. The two moaned painfully as they laid their arms limply over their bruised bodies. Busted products were strewn across the aisles as shelving laid overturned and broken. The cyborg let out an uncharacteristic snort. That'd ought to teach them a lesson about respect and personal boundaries! Golden eyes slid across the market and he fought the urge to sigh. This would be impossible to clean before Toushi was due to return. Kikyou came up and gave the teen a congratulatory pat on his back.

"You did good, robo cop! Now you need to scatter to the wind before her pain in the ass manager gets back. We'll take the heat for this." He stared over at her in shock. This was an unexpected turn of events. He didn't quite appreciate her new nickname for him but he'd allow that to slide for now. She and her group were single handedly responsible for protecting his friend while he was gone. This one transgression would be forgiven for that act alone.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked seriously. He was a man of honor. It wouldn't do if he just ran out on them to clean up his mess. Even if it was at their insistence.

The old woman waved her hand dismissively, "You have a woman to comfort right now. Saitama can only do so much." She gave him a saucy wink, "Just don't let your possessiveness push her away." Kikyou flung her white hair over her shoulders, sauntering towards the destruction.

"It's not like that." He stated, though he was struck by an odd sensation of disappointment. The memory of her fingers laced through his flashed in his mind. The feeling of _humanity_ that overcame him when he was around her was nearly inescapable. It felt natural, _necessary_ almost. Kagome had awakened something within him that he wasn't sure he even had. But what that _something_? Could this merely be the resurfacing of his human emotions? Or was this something entirely different?

Genos looked up at the two bloodied and broken males. It was clear that his actions against them were extreme. The sheer violence he used against the transgressors could have easily been explained by possible short circuits in his wiring after becoming a cyborg. But was that really the truth? Was all of this merely an act of friendship that had gotten overblown due to an unstable emotional overload? Or was it as simple as possessiveness as Kikyou had stated? Did he really feel that protective over Kagome? The cyborg's mind was muddled. He needed answers but didn't know the right questions to ask or who to ask them. Perhaps he needed to talk to his teacher about this after all?

The B.A.O.P. Squad set to work and quickly pushed him out of the door. The teen reluctantly started on his way back home. This would be the last time he'd ever return to his apartment. His eyes hardened as he focused on the path below his feet. Tonight, he would be moving in with his teacher and Kagome. It'd be the start of a new chapter in his life, one that included the both of them in it. Regardless of his changing relationship to the girl he knew that this would be the best opportunity for him to learn as much as he could. The blond's pace quickened. He needed to hurry. It was starting to get late.

Nearly an hour later, Genos found himself standing at the threshold of Saitama's home. The bald man stared in shock. Upon the cyborg's back was a dark gray pack that was filled to capacity. In fact, it nearly filled his entire living room!

"May I move in?" Came the quick inquiry.

Saitama glared at him. Was he serious right now?

"Yeah, no." The older man stated simply. Firstly there wasn't near enough space for the three of them to live together. Secondly, having Genos and Kagome under the same roof without supervision caused him to have minor anxiety. What the hell did he get himself into by agreeing to be the kid's mentor? Allowing him to move in would be an even worse decision!

Expecting that answer the teen slapped a stack of cash onto the table planted firmly between them, "I'll pay rent."

For the first time, Saitama admitted that he lost sight of his morals. In fact he lost sight of everything except the money sitting in front of him. The kid was rich!

"Did you pack a toothbrush?"

* * *

Kagome yawned as she stood by the stovetop. Although it was fairly late she hadn't yet had much of a chance to eat and it was fairly clear that neither Saitama nor Genos did either. So she stirred a pot of ramen for the three of them. Her eyes drooped as she tried to stay awake. The whole ordeal earlier had left her drained. The noodles swirled clockwise at the movement of her spoon. The young woman braced her free hand against the counter to keep herself balanced. She hated feeling this way. It was as if all her emotions had been sucked dry and all that was left with the overwhelming need to sleep. It was almost as if a vampire had come up and sucked all the emotions from her. An emotional vampire was what Kikyou had called Inuyasha and Kouga before. Perhaps there was some truth to that?

Her body began to swoon and started to feel herself fall over. However before she could hurt herself, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. She was steadied and opened her eyes to see a familiar pair of golden ones.

The teen smiled tiredly at him, "Sorry about that Genos-kun. I think I'm a little more exhausted than I realized." She righted herself and didn't argue as he wordlessly took the spoon from her. "I think I'm going to go to bed." The cyborg watched as she clamored over to her futon. Saitama was quick to help her into bed as she was still swaying from side to side. The all too familiar sting of frustration rose up within him. She had been shaking. Her whole body had trembled with fright within his grasp. Had those males really affected her that much? What exactly did they _do_?

Once the young man was satisfied that she was safely asleep in her futon he returned to finishing their dinner. He wanted to know so badly, only because he wanted to protect her in the future. It was clear that something more than Kouga just being 'grabby' caused this reaction. It was the first time since he'd met them that Kagome was anything other than kind and smiling. That thought brought about those strange emotions once more. He needed to know but he wouldn't force it. He'd ask her later about what happened between her and the one called Kouga. If she wanted to tell him, then she would.

The two males sat in silence as they ate their dinner. Kagome was much too exhausted to eat her share. The bald man gave his disciple a once over. Not once since he returned had the boy taken his eyes off of his charge. It was clear that he was concerned given what had happened today. To be honest, he was too. There were only two people in this world that could affect her in such a way, and one of them Saitama wasn't even sure was still alive. The girl's face scrunched as her hands clenched the fabric of her futon. Genos' eyes didn't stray from her form. It seemed as if he were deciding on what to do. The older man coughed, catching his student's attention.

"Let her be." He started, "I'll take care of her." The C-Rank Hero hadn't meant it to be an insult but something flashed within the boy's eyes. Whether he was aware of it or not, Genos was slowly starting to become possessive of her. That thought didn't bode well with him but he'd keep an eye on it for now. It was clear that the blond didn't wish any kind of harm upon his ward and that was more than good enough for the moment. It'd be the first time he could semi trust a male with her. Though Genos still had a few kinks that he needed to sort out before he ever considered him as a possible date for his baby girl. Most notably, his possessive attitude. That'd be suffocating for any woman to deal with if he didn't get it under control.

They quietly shut off the lights and set up their futons. The bald man purposely placed himself between Genos and Kagome. He rolled to his side, giving the cyborg his back and pulled the trembling girl into his arms. She sighed but there was still tension in her expression. Saitama closed his eyes. This was something they always did when her nightmares returned. They used to be terrible the first few months after they had started to live together. While he had been on his path to strength, Kagome was struggling to regain some normalcy within her life. She had lost everything except for him so she'd cling to him until dawn, terrified of the dreams that lurked beneath the veil of darkness.

Genos watched as the two cuddled in close together. Unlike before he didn't feel that sting of anger. Instead it was something else entirely. Concern? Disappointment? He couldn't tell which. All he knew was that Kouga and Inuyasha had caused this change in Kagome. They were the ones responsible for her fear—fear that his teacher now had to quell. His golden eyes cast one last glance over at the people who had quickly become the largest influences in his life. He wanted to protect them, but the question of how remained.

For a few hours he laid awake. The memory of Kagome's face buried fretfully in his teacher's chest burned itself in his mind. The alarm ticked to two in the morning. Golden eyes snapped open as Saitama threw the blankets from his person and stood quietly. He observed as his teacher meandered into their solitary bathroom. Genos blinked. As soon as he had gone the dark-haired girl grunted in her sleep then rolled over to her guardian's futon. By the time the man came back, the girl, leaving only her futon for him to use, had taken his spot. The cyborg stared in silence as the bald man quietly took up her spot. He threw his arm around her and fell back to sleep. Kagome on the other hand started to twitch. Then, her own eyes opened. She blinked a few times before letting out a low yawn.

Still bleary eyed, she glanced up and noticed their new roommate had yet to fall asleep.

"Having trouble?" She inquired softly.

The blond shook his head, "Just not able to rest right now. You should go back to bed." He stated softly, trying to pull the futon back over her. She pressed her hand over his and sat up. Saitama's arm fell limply to the ground. Kagome gently tucked him back into bed before sitting up and taking a spot next to Genos. The two sat in silence. The girl sighed heavily. Her eyes felt like sand bags were weighing them down. She was so tired but the nightmares wouldn't go away. This was the first time that her brother-figure hadn't been able to help her.

"Say," She began, tracing her foot along the crevice of the well-worn laminate. "Do you ever have nightmares?" Blue eyes turned downwards, "The kind that just keep replaying over and over again like a bad movie?" The girl rubbed her forehead in an attempt to wipe away the images that refused to leave her alone. "It's like for every step forward I take, there's always something that knocks me back three."

Genos took her hand and held it softly. He wasn't sure what his feelings were at this point but he wasn't going to let something as foolish as his confusion from getting in the way of helping her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked genuinely.

Kagome took a deep breath, "I probably should. I've never really talked about it before. Not even with aniki," She threw the man a sad glance, "but I don't think I ever really needed to. He always just seems to _know_ when something's wrong." His grip tightened comfortingly. The dark haired girl threaded her fingers through his and leaned her head on his shoulder. This was the first time she ever felt so comfortable with someone outside of Saitama and her family. There was just something about Genos that seemed so genuine and trustworthy. Just this once, she'd go against her better judgment and put her faith in him.

"It all started a few months after Z-city was attacked." Kagome took a deep breath and Genos waited patiently for her to continue, "Aniki and I were just starting to get settled in here when I got an invite from one of my friends. She told me Inuyasha would be there and at that time I was still, stupidly mind you, crushing on him." The cyborg fought against the flash of anger. He'd deal with those petty emotions later. "So I ended up going. Low and behold when I get there it's basically a free for all and Sango-chan and Miroku had slipped off half way through the night to have some fun." The girl's face scrunched in distaste. It didn't seem as if she blamed them but it was clear she wasn't happy with their ditching her. The blond watched the crown of her head as she rubbed her index finger through the divide between his own fingers.

"I had met Kouga a few weeks earlier though Miroku. I didn't think much of him at the time but what I didn't know was that he had been bugging him about me the whole time." Her hand stilled and her body stiffened. A deep sensation of dread rose within Genos. He had a feeling he knew where this story was going and he didn't like it one bit. "Apparently Kouga found out through Miroku that I'd be coming so he and his guys all showed up. Inuyasha had gone home shortly after arriving so I didn't get to talk to him too much. So once Miroku and Sango-chan ditched, Kouga saw an opportunity." The cyborg felt the girl shake so he took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders comfortingly. He didn't dare hold her too close in case she felt uncomfortable. Though he had no reason to worry. Kagome leaned into the comfort of his chest and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She noted that he was oddly warm as she leaned her head against the metal plate of his chest. The next part came out muffled but he heard her loud and clear.

"The guys scattered and I was alone with Kouga. I knew that I needed to get out but I didn't get the chance to. He tried to…" her voice went quiet. Without warning she pulled down her shirt a bit and showed a small, nail shaped scar on her collarbone. "It was from him that day. He had that crazy nail fashion back then as well and it left a scar. I was only able to get out because Aniki taught me self defense." This time she shook violently and didn't dare look up to meet his eyes. The blond tried his hardest to keep from tearing after the rogue male. Had he of known this earlier, he would've killed him instead!

"When aniki picked me up, I think he knew what had happened and pulled Kouga aside to 'talk' to him." Her eyes darkened, "Though he still came around as much as he couldn't and didn't stop until Aniki put him in the hospital for a month." She fisted her hand on his shirt, "I can still remember it. I don't know why it still comes up like this, but it does." She wiped her eyes from the stray tears that threatened to fall. "Listen to me, burdening you with all this." The girl gave Genos a wry smile.

His expression turned serious. He took her face between his hands gently and forced him to look him directly in the eyes.

"You're not a burden." The cyborg's voice was strong and full of emotion that surprised her. Kagome's eyes threatened to tear up again but she quickly wiped them away.

"Thank you, Genos-kun." She smiled; truly smiled this time. "It's nice to hear it."

He nodded but pulled her back to him. The dark-haired girl sighed as she felt the siren call of sleep beginning to tug at her. The young man watched as she slowly fell back into a deep, painless slumber. His mind was racing. Thoughts of protecting her and killing Kouga filled him. There was something both fragile and strong about Kagome. It drew men to her yet at the same time it also made them want to crush her. It was clear to see the reason why his teacher was so hyper-vigilant of her protection. Perhaps he needed to speak with these friends of hers first hand to find out more about them? He'd need a clear understand of Kouga's character before formulating a proper punishment. Years in the past or not, the pain was still as fresh to Kagome as the day it happened. He'd make him pay for it.

* * *

Saitama awoke the next morning to find himself alone in Kagome's futon. Said girl was lying a few feet away, taking up his original spot. Dark eyes shot open and scanned the apartment. Genos had already gotten up and put away his sleeping mat. The cyborg moved between the kitchen and the bathroom, dressed in an apron and carrying cleaning supplies. The distinct smell of bleach filled the home.

"Ah you're up sensei!" The blond stated, "I noticed that there was a minor infestation of pests so I took it upon myself to rid your home of them. I also went ahead and reorganized the place. I just need to finish cleaning the bathroom and everything will be done."

The bald man stared blankly at the scene. Well good for him. That was one less thing he had to do. He stretched his arms high above his head but stopped as his phone began to ring. He reached over and answered it.

"Saitama," The young man started but was quickly interrupted by a frantic voice on the other end.

"Saitama-san! I heard about what happened! Is Kagome okay? Where's Kouga? Are his balls still in tact? Because they won't be when I get him!" The blond paused as he overheard the conversation. Could that be the friend Kagome had mentioned the previous night? Saitama pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"She's fine Sango. Genos already took care of the situation. She's asleep right now so you'll have to talk to her later." He stopped as the girl interrupted again.

"Oh I see. Okay, well if he was there then there's nothing for me to worry about." The woman's voice dropped a few notches, "So is he still alive? From what I hear the guy's got it pretty bad for little Kagome-chan."

His eyebrow twitched. How the hell did she find out so fast? Was Kikyou grooming her to be the next Wicked Witch of the West? He certainly hoped not. Then he'd never get a moment's peace. At least Kikyou didn't know where he lived!

"It's as I said. Genos took care of it and it'd be best if you left such matters alone." He then cocked his head to the side and glared out the window. Knowing that girl she was already watching them and observing every move they made. Damn her. "Kagome did mention the other day that she was planning on meeting up with you later. I'll have her call you when she gets up so the two of you can discuss your plans. Good bye Sango." Without waiting for a response he hung up the phone and grunted under his breath. Great, just what he needed.

"Was that Kagome's friend?" Genos asked curiously. Saitama nodded affirmatively. He'd have the joy of meeting her sooner rather than later from what Kagome had told him.

"Yes, beware of that one. She's even more persistent that Kikyou." Dark eyes narrowed on the teen's form, "She'll get you when you least suspect it."

The cyborg took note, quite literally, of his teacher's words. Once he finished scribbling the quote into his journal he glanced over at Kagome's form. The dark circles under eyes were nearly gone and a small smile was creasing her face. At least she was no longer suffering from those nightmares. Once he was satisfied with the state of their home, he dressed back into his normal clothes. It was only then that the girl roused from her slumber.

"Rise and shine kid. Your _sister_ called." The bald man bit out a bit more tersely than intended. Kagome nodded then yawned.

"Okay, I'll call her in a bit. I have to fix breakfast first."

Genos shook his head as he brought a platter of food from the kitchen, "There's no need. I already prepped some this morning."

Blue eyes stared in shock. It was amazing! A bowl of rice and miso soup was placed before them though it was decadently decorated and plated. The plate had much more distinct class than she ever remembered being able to display in her food!

"Thanks Genos-kun!" She grinned up at the teen. His teacher mumbled his own thanks as they sat together at their table. Their meal was consumed in silence but there was an aura of happiness that hadn't been there before. The bald man had to admit that whatever happened when he had been asleep had done wonders for his charge. He only hoped that 'something' that occurred between the teens included their clothes on their bodies and their feet planted firmly on the ground.

Once they finished Kagome gathered the dishes and waltzed over to the kitchen. Genos followed her. Instead of allowing him to take over the chores completely, the two worked together to clean after their mess. The dark haired girl laughed as she watched him use his fire to gently dry the plates she washed. Once the fire was safely put out, she took his hand and moved it around. She twisted this way and that, flexing the wrist to and fro. A small smile creased the cyborg's lips. He went on to discuss the different thing that this pair of arms he was using was capable of. He mentioned to the girl that he had other pairs as well, all with very many different uses. The one he wore yesterday was battle specific. Today's was more general chores and household duty-friendly.

Kagome smiled and laced her fingers through his hands again. Once they were done she grabbed her phone can called her friend. She didn't stay on the line long but the men heard her agree to an afternoon meeting. Once she hung up she turned to the blond.

"I meant to ask you sooner Genos-kun but things got a bit hectic," A brow twitched. Hectic was one way of putting that incident. "But Sango-chan wants to know if you'd be willing to go out with us later today. It'd be me, you, Sango-chan and Miroku."

The young man nodded, "That's fine. Besides, it's probably best if we took a day off today anyways. Being cooped up isn't all that good for one's health." The girl grinned.

"Oh I know! Let's go ahead and head out! There's still a few things I wanted to show you before introducing you to Sango-chan." She dropped her voice a bit, "I love her to death but she can be a handful sometimes."

Saitama laughed at that comment. Wasn't that the truth!

"You kids take care," He waved at them, "Oh and Genos, keep my girl safe!" The older man called out as Kagome tugged him through the front door. The cyborg's eyes hardened with determination.

"Yes sir!"

The door closed behind them and the C-Rank Hero was left by himself. Strangely, he didn't feel the need to follow them like he did with Inuyasha. Instead he leaned back and opened up his favorite manga. He'd call Kagome in a few hours to check in with her. Just because he trusted Genos more than most men, didn't mean that he'd leave her completely unattended. Now where was he again? Ah yes, the Hero had just defeated the monster.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Seven:**

Kagome lightly pulled on Genos' arm, she gestured towards a local burger and shake diner. It'd been a couple of hours since they left the apartment and they spent much of their time wandering around the town. They were both starting to feel hungry and neither of them had known where to go. So once she spotted the place she immediately suggested that they go. The blond obliged, holding out his arm for her to take. She took his queue and allowed him to lead them into the restaurant. He became hyper aware of the way her hand rested in the nook between his forearm and bicep.

"I haven't been here in ages!" The teen laughed as she leaned her head against his arm. "I used to love this place when I was young!" Her expression brightened considerably, "Aniki and I used to go here all the time when I was still pretty small." Genos smiled at her, mentally taking note of the information she was giving him. He would need to take her back here more often. If only to make sure she kept smiling like that. The image of her tears from the previous night had permanently seared itself into his memory. He didn't know why but the thought of her crying made him extremely uncomfortable. He'd pull his teacher aside later tonight and discuss with him all these changes. Perhaps his mentor would know more than him in regards to this subject.

A hostess smiled at the couple as she brought them over to a semi-secluded booth. Kagome took the inner seat as Genos sat next to her. The girl dropped her arm but he casually rested his own arm over the back of the booth. She said nothing to it being there and focused on perusing the menu. Golden eyes watched her softly. It was almost as if yesterday didn't happen. If taking her out to eat was all it took to make her happy than he'd do it more often.

Their waitress approached, "What would you two like to start off with?" The girl asked with a kind smile. She was a slightly older woman with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

"Might I have a chocolate shake and double burger?" Kagome interjected. The waitress nodded and gave her a approving stare.

"Good choice!" She then turned her attention to the cyborg, "And for you sir?"

Genos grabbed Kagome's menu, stacked it on top of his and handed it over to the woman. "I'll have the same."

There was a flicker in the woman's eyes, "Coming right up!"

A comfortable silence fell among the couple. The dark haired girl leaned into his chest and a small smile spread across her face.

"It's been nearly five years since the last time I was here with aniki." She began to thread her fingers together, "I was thirteen at the time and I'd gotten into a fight with my stepfather." The girl shook her head, "It seems that I was always fighting with Mamoru-san but Aniki was always there."

The blond listened intently to her story. He was vaguely aware that Saitama and Kagome were not related by blood, however they did have an incredibly strong bond that'd be hard for anyone to break. He was curious as to how that had happened if he were to be completely honest with himself.

She picked up a fork and twirled it between her fingers, "Saitama-aniki and I had been neighbors since I was eight. I think he was fifteen at the time." Her face scrunched in concentration. It was rather… cute. "The first time we met was because I'd gotten into an argument with my stepfather. I don't even remember what it was about. Aniki was on his way home from school and he'd gotten into a brawl with a few bullies as well." Kagome flashed him a smile, "It seemed that we were both having a bad day, but instead of just leaving me alone Aniki sat down and waited until I stopped crying. It was strange but it felt nice to have someone there."

She tilted her head back as her hair spilled over his arm, "I know that we bickered a bit that day. I think I was arguing with him over the fact that I was crying." His brows raised as she laughed at the memory. "Even when I was young I was stubborn as a mule. I just didn't want to admit that I had bawled my eyes out in front of a stranger."

"So after that day Aniki and I spent a lot of time together," Her laugh grew louder, "Though you could say that it was more or less me just following him around while he tried to go about his daily life." She cast him a bright smile, "Even if he wouldn't say it, I think Aniki was grateful for the company. He didn't have too many friends at the time either."

Kagome's smile dropped a bit as another memory came rushing forward. "That day when Z-city was attacked. I was over at Aniki's house. That time I'd gotten into it with both Mamoru-san and my mother." Her brows narrowed, "I still don't remember what it was about. I think it had something to due with the fact that my little brother kept trying to tag along with me and they weren't happy about it." She shrugged, "I never really understood my stepfather or his reasons for doing the things he did." She stopped all movement. Genos wasn't sure of what to do at this point. He knew the city had been attacked and that Kagome had likely been separated from her family somehow but he sincerely didn't want her to be upset at the moment. Perhaps taking her here was a mistake?

"Even though I lost my family, I can't regret how things ended up." She turned her head up to stare at the ceiling, "Aniki and I spent the next year or so searching for them. We found most of our friends and neighbors but my family just disappeared. We didn't know whether they died in the attack or just moved off somewhere else. Still don't know to be honest." The cyborg moved his arm to wrap around her fully. Kagome sighed as she felt herself being pulled into his side. He was so warm.

"But I don't regret it. If I hadn't been there with Aniki that day then I wouldn't be here now." She smiled up at him, but this one was tearful and edged with a bit of sadness. "I never would've had the chance to get the awesome brother I have now and I never would've met you. Even if I don't ever find my family again, I can't regret the people I was so lucky to meet since then." The teen rested her head in the crook of his shoulder and neck, "I'm glad I met you, Genos-kun." His grip on her shoulders instinctively tightened as a familiar feeling rushed through him. This, he was certain, was the possessiveness that Kikyou had told him about.

"Here you sweethearts go!" The waitress returned, two plates of double burgers in her arms. It was only after she placed the shake between them that they realized what had happened. It was an oversized glass and two red straws sticking out from each side—meant for sharing.

Kagome laughed and took the first straw, "Let's see who finishes it first!"

The cyborg shook his head but took up her offer. He tried not to laugh as she quickly got a brain freeze. He took his own straw and finished the last half of it. The rest of their time at the diner was spent laughing. The waitress watched from her station. Her eyes lit up at the display. It'd been over five years since she had last seen that girl. She was glad that she was doing much better now! The older woman hummed as she watched the two teens play and flirt. Whether they were aware of it or not, they were definitely no longer just friends. That was made clear by the way he was holding her. She smiled and returned to her other tables. This had been one heck of a good day!

* * *

Sango huffed as she glanced at the time. Where was that girl? Hazel eyes narrowed as she spotted a pair walking down the familiar path to the theater. A mischievous expression took over her face as she saw Kagome link her arm through Genos'. Not once had she ever seen her best friend get so touchy with anyone other than her guardian. Even then it seemed to be very _different_ from the way she interacted with Saitama.

Her boyfriend wrapped his arm around her waist, "Try not to scare him off, love." Miroku murmured against the shell of her ear. The brunette smirked as she leaned into the young man's hard chest. She wouldn't promise anything right now. It'd all depend on how Genos behaved around her friend. As long as he acted like a proper gentleman there wouldn't be a problem. But one incident of him losing his cool or being a hound and she'd serve him up on a silver platter to Kikyou.

"Sango-chan! Miroku!" Kagome called out, waving her free arm at them. The two approached and eyed the cyborg warily.

"How are you doing Kagome?" The dark-haired male inquired as he took in her features. There were no noticeable bags under her eyes or the haunt of stress upon her face. It would seem that this Genos person had done a good job in helping her move past yesterday's incident.

"I'm just fine, don't you worry about me!" She moved to hug both him and Sango. The blond stood a short ways off, his eyes watching Miroku's every move. Said man felt a small shiver of fear go down his spine. The guy was certainly eagle-eyed! The teen offered his hand to the male. Genos took it casually.

"Genos." Was his simple introduction, "You must be Miroku." The younger of the two nodded at him.

"Ah yes, so it seems that Kagome has been talking about me has she?"

Golden eyes narrowed, "Enough to know that you aren't quite trustworthy with the opposite sex." The girls roared in laughter as Sango's boyfriend flushed in embarrassment.

"What lines have you been feeding him Kagome? You know I only have eyes and hands for my lovely Sango!" He whirled on the girl. The dark-haired teen threw her arms around her stomach and laughed her heart out. Sango clapped her on the back and gave her a thumbs up.

"Well she's not lying! You were always quite the pervert even before we started dating!" His girlfriend chimed in. "Besides, if I recall you tried to grab every female ass in your immediate vicinity." The brunette then winked over at Genos playfully, "You better keep your eye on this one! He's quite the Casanova!"

Kagome wrapped her arms around the cyborg's waist through her laughter. At some point he had tried to grab Miroku by his shirt so she quickly stepped in to put a stop to his advance. It wouldn't do for an S-Class Hero to get into a useless brawl in front of the theater!

"C'mon nothing to worry about now other than what movie we're going to see." She flashed the blond a smile, "What kind of shows do you normally like?" He stopped to glance down at her, the fire in his hand extinguishing.

Genos curled his hand and looked up at the movie listings, "I don't have any exact preference. I don't generally have time to attend a movie theater."

Kagome turned to look at him, "You look like a guy that would appreciate a thriller. How about that one?" He shrugged at her nonchalantly.

"It's whatever you want." The dark haired girl shook her head at his response. Somehow she expected that from him.

"What about you guys? You good with _Night of the Blood Lamb_?" Her friends smiled and nodded. That was actually the movie that had been wanting to see for quite some time. It was the top box office hit for several weeks straight. Plus it had freaking Handsomely Masked Sweet Mask as the protagonist! It wasn't every day that man did anything other than romantic comedies! The reviews were quite stellar as well. It'd be interesting to see him in such a serious role.

Kagome grinned, "Then it's settled! Genos-kun would you mind coming with me to get the tickets?" He obliged her, settling his arm around her shoulders as they strolled up to the booth.

Hazel eyes watched them mischievously. She so needed to talk to Kagome tonight about this new development! Sango's boyfriend quickly pulled her into his arms.

"How about we make the most of our time while they're gone, my love?" She laughed as he slanted his mouth over hers feverishly. Miroku was so insatiable!

The two were forced to part as Genos cleared his throat. His expression was dull but there was a glint of distaste for the display of public affection that they had just put on in front of their friend. The dark-haired girl's face was a light shade of red but she chose not to say anything. Instead her eyes darted between the ground and the blond's face. If Sango didn't know any better, she'd say that she was thinking about him in ways that didn't include friendship as its basis.

"You guys ready? It'll be starting soon." Kagome mumbled as the cyborg gripped her shoulders. The flush on her face increased. Ever since the other night he had gotten quite handsy with her but it wasn't all that uncomfortable. Unlike with Kouga or Inuyasha, she didn't feel the need to flee from the contact. Rather, she felt that she might have enjoyed the sensation a little too much! It was bordering three weeks since she broke up with Inuyasha. She still needed a bit of time to adjust to everything before jumping into a new relationship. Burdening Genos with all of her emotional baggage before she was ready to deal with it herself would be unfair to him at best.

The two couples walked into the theater, the two girls at the center of the group. Genos refused to remove his arm from Kagome as they took their seats. He wasn't quite sure why but his sensors kept going off. They buzzed constantly of a minor danger that seemed to be hanging around. Golden eyes surveyed the seats around them. As far as he could tell there was no significant dangers to be had. Perhaps he needed to tune up his warning system the next time he visited the doctor? This was putting him on edge. The lights dimmed as the girl under his arm leaned close to him. The familiar pull of possessiveness rose within him. For the first time, he chose not to fight against it. Instead he encouraged her to rest her head against his chest as the first of the previews began. Even if he was still confused about the depths of these new emotions, he'd still partake in them as much as he could. Being around Kagome had helped him in ways that he was sure even he fully understood yet.

Said girl fought the blush that threatened to expose her feelings. She only knew Genos for about a week now! It was way too early for this! Though the sensation of his arm around her left the teen unable to deny that she felt completely safe. She didn't know what it was about this particular guy, but he always seemed to know how to make her feel at ease. Kagome let out a soft sigh and rested her head against his breastplate. She could hear the soft humming of mechanical parts within his body. It was a strange sound, but not one that was entirely unpleasant. The hum worked like a soothing bell, calming the girl's frayed nerves. What was she so worried about before? She couldn't remember.

The blond watched as her body relaxed into him. The intro was just starting when his alarms went off again. This time he threw a glace a few rows up from them and found a familiar pair of golden eyes glaring down at them jealously. It was Inuyasha. Apparently the last beating had not left him hospitalized as much as he hoped. The cyborg began to wonder if the male was taking some kind of steroid to increase in healing abilities. That was the only way he could explain his current presence within the theater. The other male almost seemed unharmed save for the few unsightly bruises on his cheek and body. The blond came to the decision that he needed to fix the hound's intrusion in Kagome's life immediately. Apparently beating him wasn't going to be enough this time. Perhaps he needed to permanently remove a limb to make his message clear?

Inuyasha suddenly rose from his seat and made his way down to them. He glared at Genos momentarily. Should he risk sitting by the volatile robot? Or would it be better to chance a spot next to his friend? The silver-haired teen grunted as he sat next to his old friend. Miroku cast him a scathing glance but returned his attention to his blissfully unaware girlfriend. Now was not the time to be making a scene. He'd deal with the situation after the movie ended.

Kagome's mouth hung open as Sweet Mask epically slashed at a shadow shifting the darkness. The killer had managed to escape him and was now after an innocent! She bit her nails nervously and leaned further against Genos. Said male pulled her tighter to him but his head was cocked to the side—refusing to take his eyes off of the intruder. There was a scream from the film and Kagome buried her whole face into his side. Inuyasha growled under his breath at the way she clung to the male. She had never held onto him like that. Hell, she barely let him do anything other than hug her and hold her hand! He shot an envious glare over at the cyborg. Golden eyes darkened as Inuyasha watched Genos lean down and whisper something softly into the shell of Kagome's ear. It was such a minor action but the intimacy of it spoke volumes.

"Get your damn hands off of her!" The silver-haired teen roared when he could no longer stand to watch another man paw at his ex-girlfriend. Damn it all, why'd he have to be so stupid and break up with her for a whore?

Kagome's eyes snapped and she stared at the newcomer in shock. Her face paled but her eyes darted to her teacher's disciple for help. The blond quickly switched their seats and pushed her as far away from the intruder as possible. The crowd above them booed and some threw bits of popcorn down onto the loudmouth. Served him right for trying to make a scene!

If Genos thought that he couldn't feel anymore possessive than he already was, he was certainly proven wrong. Another wave shot through him, causing him to pull the girl flush against his side. The dark-haired teen buried her face at the crook of his neck. Puffs of her breath glided against the false skin that was there, creating an effect that he wasn't quite used to experiencing.

"Just ignore him. We came to watch a movie," Kagome began as her hands curled gently around the blond's face, "What's the point of spending that money on the tickets if all we're going to do is argue with an idiot." He felt the beginning of a smile spread across his lips. "Besides, I'll let you deal with him outside when this is over." That was all the encouragement he needed. The girl under his arm went back to resting her head on his chest though her posture was noticeably less relaxed than before. Her hands fisted themselves into tight knots over his shirt. His free hand came up to grab the one clinging onto his collar. She turned her face up and grinned happily at him. This time another emotion flooded him and it wasn't possessiveness—it was much softer, kinder even. He enjoyed that one much more.

Another hour through the movie and the climax was coming to a head. Sweet Mask had managed to track the killer down to remote location. A figure dressed in a black hoodie and white lamb mask streaked with blood stood under a solitary light at the arranged meeting place. Sweet Mask glared as the killer exposed a long blade. It was the murder weapon that had slain the previous victims. Kagome turned her head and buried her face completely into his neck this time. It was good thing too as the killer had managed to lop off an arm from the protagonist. Though the battle shifted as Sweet Mask pulled out his own secret weapon and shot the killer in the face with a 45 Caliber pistol. An epilogue scrolled across the screen as the lights began to raise.

"That," Kagome began, "Was unexpected." The blond nodded in agreement but his eyes were glued to the unwelcomed guest. Now, onto the promised fight.

"You can say that again." Inuyasha snarled. Now fully aware of the intruder, Sango pointed a long finger at him and tried to push past Miroku. Her boyfriend slung his arm around her waist and held her back from him.

"You better run before I catch you!" She hissed, kicking her feet up at his shins, "Otherwise I'll cut your balls off with a rusty knife and force feed them down your throat!" The cyborg watched as she humorously tried to pry her protective boyfriend's grasp from her in an attempt to do just as she said.

"Damn woman, calm down!" The silver-haired teen growled as one of her fists collided with his skull, "Why is it that no one believes me when I say I just want to talk to Kagome? Seriously, cut the bullshit already!"

A dark aura surrounded Genos as he leveled his glare with the male, "Because you are nothing more than a pest. Get lost before I use my full strength on you." Inuyasha paled slightly at the threat. Despite his fast healing, his body was still aching from the beat down the other day! Damn he needed to fix this quickly!

He raised his hands up, "I'm not here to fight. I really do just want to talk."

The blond narrowed his eyes at him, "No. What you want is for Kagome to come crawling back to you," The teen's voice dropped to a dangerous level, "Though that won't happen. Neither myself nor sensei would allow it."

The flush on the girl's cheeks returned. Any other day she would've hissed and yelled at someone for presuming to make a decision for her. But there was something about the _way_ Genos said that, that kept her from lashing out at him. Her body heated at the thought. She really needed to get herself under control! This was embarrassing! Perhaps she needed to talk to aniki about this? It was starting to get a bit strange. Though she wasn't sure how well her guardian would take to the news that she was crushing on his unwanted disciple.

"You can't make that decision for her!" Inuyasha roared. He puffed his chest out and tried his make his way past Miroku and Sango (who was still beating her fists down on his skull). "You're not her keeper! You can't tell her what to do!"

Kagome took a deep breath, "Genos-kun is right." The two turned to stare over at her. Though Inuyasha was incredulous, Genos was satisfied. "I _won't_ be going back to you and I'd be stupid if I did." Cobalt eyes hardened at the intruder, "You made your choice and I've made mine. Why can't you be happy with that and move on?"

The young man opened his mouth before closing it again. He had no answer to that. Hell he didn't even have an answer as to why he left in the first place. He looked to the ground guiltily. The only thing he remembered was being horny as hell and Kagome just wasn't giving it to him. His face resembled that of a kicked puppy. Had he really dumped her over something that stupid? Was that the only reason he tied himself up with that forsaken whore, Hotaru?

Seeing that the he had no comeback, Genos turned his attention back to Kagome. He brushed his thumbs under her eyes and asked if she were alright. He was still concerned given Kouga's reappearance the other day. Seeing Inuyasha for the third time like this was bound to trigger something negative within her. The girl in his grasp gave a small smile and placed her hands over his own. In that moment, the brief image of pressing his lips to hers crossed his mind. He stilled his body. Now was not the time for such things. His eyes looked to hers in concern. Instead of the torn expression he had expected, she was fixated on him. Her face was flushed and he realized that she had thought of the same thing. The cyborg's breath hitched a notch. The moment was killed when she turned away, her face beet red from embarrassment. He released her in favor of pulling her to his chest. The young man promised himself then not to push her. Whatever happened between them would happen. However it'd all have to be on her terms. He had no right to ask anything from her.

Inuyasha growled under his breath, "Feh. Looks like you already moved on anyways," His silver hair flicked over his shoulder as he turned his back petulantly, "And you said I'm bad. Looks more like you're looking for a rebound in that one."

Kagome tore herself from Genos and grabbed her ex by the back of the neck. Power rose from within her as she burned the skin within her grasp, "Mind yourself!" She hissed before pushing him away again, "What Genos-kun and I do is none of your business!" She didn't have the heart to deny that what they had was only friendship anymore, but the thought of him just being a rebound made her furious. She didn't want to use him like that! Genos deserved better! "Besides, I'm not like you! I don't abandon the ones I claim to care about just because of selfish reasons!" Inuyasha's shoulders dropped. He couldn't deny that statement either. He was selfish. Even now he was acting only in his best interest.

"Leave." The cyborg snarled as he came to stand beside Kagome. Their faces were a matching expression of fury and discontent. With a deep sigh, the teen walked away. He'd go home for now but he wouldn't stop. One way or another, he'd win her back. He just have to show her that he was the better man. Golden eyes narrowed as he saw Genos pull Kagome back to him. The way he wrapped his arms around her spoke of a possessiveness that was more than just a simple reaction from an overprotective boyfriend. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage?

* * *

Saitama stared blankly at the wall, "Oh?"

Why was this so damn difficult?

Kagome's voice rattled off from the other end. He felt a headache begin again. Where was their aspirin again? Had Genos moved it during his cleaning spree this morning?

"You don't say," He responded coolly as she reiterated what had just occurred. He had only called to check in with them, not to have a blow-by-blow of how Inuyasha had, yet again, tried to get back with her. Though this time he tried to crash her 'group date' as she had called it. A black brow twitched. He didn't like the sound of that one bit. Maybe he needed to speak to Genos again? Perhaps his warning wasn't quite clear enough the last time.

"Although," Kagome began, "I… I think I'm…" She paused slightly as her breath began to hitch. Oh boy, he knew where this is going.

"Kagome-chan do me this favor would you?" Saitama asked as his mind slowly concocted all the different ways he could 'talk' to Genos about his behavior. "Don't jump into another relationship just yet. Besides you two are living together now and I'm not exactly comfortable with that idea." There was a nervous laugh on the other end.

"Yeah that's what I think too. It's just that…" He could almost hear her face flushing. Great now he needed to play chaperone. Just what he needed. "I don't know, I think it's because Genos-kun is the first person I've really trusted since I met you aniki." Now that was a shocker.

"How so?" He questioned.

"I told him about Kouga the other night. Not just the glossed over version either." Something rustled on the other end of the line. He felt the hair on the back of his neck raise. Right, that bastard. The night it happened he found her with her shirt ripped around the collar and her breaking down in frantic tears. He didn't have the heart to ask her what happened but he knew who was responsible when the guy refused to leave his baby girl alone. Sick bastard.

"Is that what happened last night?" The bald man put away his manga as he leaned against the wall of their livingroom. The intervention was now in progress.

"Yeah," Kagome's voice was low but not meek like before. This time it was soft, as if remembering something good. He fought the urge to sigh.

"Do you remember what I told you before Kagome-chan?" He queried as he flipped through a few old picture books of theirs. He stopped at the one that included them posing together. Kagome was thirteen at the time and he was around twenty. He had his arm resting on top her head comfortably while she laughed and held up a peace sign. They snapped the photo just outside of the Z-City zoo. He remembered that day quite well. It was the day that she had one of the worst fights ever with her stepdad, Mamoru, and wouldn't stop rambling about how she was the burden to everyone until he took her out around town and stopped at the local burger and shake diner. The finished their outing by going to the zoo. She had begged Mamoru to take her nearly every year for her birthday but he consistently refused—citing the lack of funds. All the while dumping hundreds into her brother's unnecessary sports fund.

"Don't rush in, don't give in and definitely don't give up." He nodded appreciatively at he response. Good.

"That's right, now use that here as well. You mustn't rush into a relationship yet. Don't give into anyone pressuring you. Be it Kikyou, Sango or even Genos. _You're_ the one who gets to decide who you want to date," His face grew dark at the next bit, "And _definitely_ don't give anything up. _Nothing_! I might have to have some cyborg for dinner if that's the case."

He heard his ward's light laugh, "I don't think that'd taste very good. Too much metal. Though I doubt he'd do anything like that as well." Saitama's brow twitched. Sure he'd wait for her go ahead on such an important matter, but as soon as she said yes, that boy would be all over her. He didn't much fancy the idea of watching his student paw his sister-figure in such a way. They were just a few steps away from bridging that gap between 'friend' and 'lover' that they hardly recognized the difference themselves. But he did and he wasn't about to allow such a thing to occur under his roof.

"Alright I'll talk to you when you get home." He moved to turn on the TV, "Oh and let Genos know that I want to talk to him when he gets here."

"Yes sir!" She bit out through her laughed. The call ended and Saitama was left to watch the news on his own. Great, now he had to give his student a long talking to about appropriate behavior. He was too damn young to be giving speeches about birds and the bees to teenagers. His dark eyes narrowed at the screen. There was another disaster in a far off city. How he wished he could go there instead. Settling into his usual routine of waiting for the kids to return, his mind went over all the things he wanted to say. Either way by the end of the night new boundaries and rules would be established. Satisfied with that thought his gaze turned to the clock. Just twenty more minutes.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Eight:**

The teens had been over thirty minutes late on their way back home. Much of it was due to Kagome's insistence on stopping to talk. Mostly she was requesting advice from Genos on how to handle Inuyasha. So he paused to take the time to teach her a few self-defense moves that he believed would become useful for her. He wouldn't be able to protect her a hundred percent of the time so preparing her for such events would come in handy.

Saitama stared as such a lesson occurred under his room. Genos shifted into a guarding position as he directed Kagome to mimic the behavior. She followed suit but her stance was much more lax and full of openings. The blond nodded at her but didn't allow her openings to go unnoticed.

"You need to tuck your arms in closer to yourself," The teen stated, emphasizing his point by tucking his own elbows closer to his chest. "You need to guard your torso. It's one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body. Your main goal will need to be protecting that part of yourself." The girl quickly followed his instructions as she shifted her stance to close the gaps in her defense.

"Good, now make sure that you bend your legs a bit more." He moved back and forth on his own legs, "You need to be able to stand firm, but also give yourself ample amount of space to quickly dodge or attack given the situation." Cobalt eyes narrowed in determination. Saitama continued to watch in mild fascination as his ward tried her hardest to take in his disciple's teachings.

"You have two options when someone attacks," He moved and pretended to throw a punch towards her. It was slow so she could see the path that his fist would take, "You can either block or you can retaliate." The blond had her throw a slow punch at him instead. He used the side of his hand to gently push the fist to the side. He then had her do it again to show her how to dodge and then throw a hit of her own. "Which you choose will depend on the circumstances." The two went back and forth, practicing the new moves. "If you know you'll be overwhelmed by your opponent your best bet would be to use techniques that would buy time. Dodging and blocking would cause the least amount of damage to you in a serious fight."

She pushed his hand to the side with a quick swipe to the wrist. A small smile spread across his lips. "Retaliating should come as a natural self defense mechanism. When someone tries to attack you, your first instinct will either be to fight them or to flee from them." He closed the distance between them and stood side-by-side with her. His golden eyes watched as she tried to throw a punch. Her arm was bent and her fist turn downwards. He quickly had her hold the position so he could adjust her arm for her. The young man lightly pushed up on her elbow to force her to straighten it out, then gently tapped on her wrist to encourage her to make her fingers have a flat surface rather than bury her knuckles into her target.

"When you decide to fight, you need to guard simultaneously." She tucked her free arm back towards her torso. The cyborg felt a small sense of pride go through him. She was being a very attentive listener. "Make sure that whatever you decide to do, that you get it done in one hit." His expression turned serious, "Even if it means playing dirty, the most important thing to remember is that your safety comes first above all else." She grunted as she practiced throwing another punch, "The only thing you need to focus on is getting home safe."

She cocked her head to the side and gave him a curious stare, "What do you mean by play dirty?"

Saitama chose to interject himself into the lesson, "He means that you need to use whatever weakness your opponent has against them. A good example would be hitting Inuyasha in the balls the next time he comes around." A light bulb went off above her head. Oh, well that'd be easy to do!

The cyborg remained quiet as he watched his teacher take over the lessons for him. He crossed his arms over his chest and observed in silence as Kagome soaked up all the knowledge he and his sensei had to offer. He fully agreed with her learning how to protect herself but in this world there would always be a danger that was stronger than what she could handle. She'd need something more. Perhaps an emergency transmitter that she could use in case she ever got into trouble? He quickly pulled out his phone and sent his doctor the request via text message. The response was brief but affirmative. The teen relaxed his shoulders and smiled at the image the two made. Somehow, seeing his teacher fully embrace his role as guardian and mentor to Kagome made him satisfied. As their lessons wound down for the evening, the dark-haired teen gave her guardian a hug. She threw her arms around his waist and squeezed him as hard as she could. The bald man didn't even grunt at the pressure. He merely placed a gentle hand on top of her head and encouraged her to take a bath. She smiled then offered Genos the same hug. Only it was less of a bear squeeze. Her hands dug themselves into the cloth of his back and she pressed her face against his chest.

"Thank you." It was barely audible, but her appreciation did not go unnoticed. The blond released her as she pulled back. His eyes watched as she bounced away to the bathroom. He hadn't realized he'd been staring until Saitama cleared his throat.

"Take a seat." The bald man gestured to the open spot at the table, "We need to talk." Genos knew that this conversation was likely not going to be a pleasant one. His brows furrowed as he did as his teacher requested. Perhaps now was a good time as any to ask him about his _problem_?

The older male shut off the TV. He leveled his gaze with the teen across from him. How did he always find himself in these types of situations? He took a deep breath then began the conversation as calmly as he could.

"You told me a while back that you didn't have any intentions towards Kagome," He eyes narrowed into a piercing stare, "Is that still the case today?"

The cyborg took a moment to think the question over carefully. At the time he had only been curious about the girl's power. There was little else that had intrigued him, however now things were different. Her power was becoming less and less concerning for him. Instead something else had taken its root, but the question of _what_ remained.

"I am…" He hesitated, "… unsure." He could tell that his mentor was not satisfied with that answer. Frankly, neither was he. He needed to know more about the reasons why he felt the way he did.

Saitama narrowed his eyes, "Explain."

He didn't much like his serious look in comparison to his usual laidback appearance, but Genos tried not to let it get to him.

"I...do not have much experience with… matters such as these. I wasn't aware that I could still," Genos struggled with the proper word choice to appropriately explain his circumstances, " _feel_ such things."

A black brow arched upwards. Now they were getting somewhere.

"So what you're saying is that you didn't think you were still human?" Saitama leaned against the cool wall of the living room. It was quickly becoming a favorite pastime. He briefly wondered if he had left an indent from his skull there yet.

The blond glanced down at his hands. They were made of steel and could only feel a small portion of the things he could prior to the change. "That's similar but I don't think that's quite the right phrasing for it." He closed his fingers over his palm. The feeling of Kagome's hands tracing over the space there was brought to the surface of his mind. "More like, I wasn't aware that this body would be capable of anything other than battle." Golden eyes narrowed as another wave of emotion filled him. This was not possessiveness. It was the familiar call of determination singing to his human soul.

"After having decided to become cyborg I cast aside all notions of human emotions." He glanced up to stare at his teacher, "I believed that to fall to something as petty as emotion would be to set myself up for disaster when I would finally try to exact my revenge." The boy's face softened somewhat, "I hadn't realized that it was only my body that changed, not my emotions."

There was a calm silence. Then Genos chose to continue his explanation, "After four years of separating myself from my humanity, I lost track of what it meant to feel _normal_." There was the light clinking of him opening and closing his hand, "I'm now having to relearn what each of them are and what they mean." He sighed deeply, "What I do know is that it is because of Kagome that I reconnected with that part of myself."

Saitama became curious. He leaned forward and cocked his head to the side, "Since when?"

The blond looked him dead in the eyes, "I don't know but she was the first to treat me as if I were still human." The sound of the water running was the only thing that could be heard in the tiny apartment. "It's hard to explain, but she never saw me as anything other than a person." Something about the cyborg softened. In that moment he really did just look like a normal, human boy.

The bald man sighed, "Alright I'll let it slide for now," He began but his face turned serious, "Though we're going to be laying a few ground rules from here on out." Genos gave his teacher his full attention. "If you have questions in regards to your issues with your emotions than you'll come directly to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!"

The other man nodded, "Good. Second, try not to be as handsy with Kagome as you have been." The blond arched a brow. He'd been handsy with her? He hadn't noticed all that much, save for the theater of course. "Thirdly, I do _not_ want to wake up one morning and find the two of you cuddling up like a pair of love-struck teenagers." He tried not to think on the fact that, that was indeed what they were. "You will sleep as far away from her as possible until we're able to get a bigger apartment. She'll need her space from you and vice versa." The cyborg wrote the rules down as his mentor went over them.

"Lastly, you will not under any circumstances push Kagome into a relationship with you." The expression on Saitama's face was enough to send a chill of fear through even the coldest of hearts. "I'm sure you're already aware by now that she needs time to herself. Pushing her into being with you would not be a good idea for many different reasons." The bald man crossed his arms over his chest, "That's doubly true as you also have your own issues that you need to handle first—namely getting that possessiveness under control." Genos didn't deny that one. That particular emotion always seemed to crop up when he least suspected it. "Are we at an understanding, Genos?"

He completely agreed with his mentor's reasoning. He even believed that following his advice would be the most rational thing to do. However there was something that gnawed on the back of his mind. Perhaps it was traces of his possessive nature surging forth, or maybe it was a long lost instinct from his forgotten humanity. Either way, the final notion did not sit well with him.

"Yes sir." He mimicked his earlier response. Despite his reservations for these new boundaries, he'd abide by them. He had originally come to his teacher to learn and that's just what he was going to do. In this case, he'd follow his mentor's lessons on how to be normal again. It was the best choice he had left.

"Good." Saitama raised his cup tea to his disciple. "Now that, that's settled let's toast." The cyborg obliged and raised his own cup. "To a new beginning." A wry smile spread across the teen's lips. A new beginning indeed.

* * *

Souta huffed as he climbed over a piece of upturned concrete. This was much harder than it looked! The twelve-year-old growled as he pushed himself over the serrated tip. It cut into his jeans, tearing the fabric away from his leg. The boy cursed under his breath. Well this sucked. He'd come out here on a tip that a few people were still hanging around. It'd been over three years now since the attack and he was starting to get desperate for answers.

The boy puffed as he stood atop the boulder that nearly sliced open his shin. His cobalt eyes narrowed at the scene before him. For as far as he could see was rubble. However there were bits and pieces of evidence that another person was living there. From where he stood he could spy a building that had live plants decorating one of its suites. They were all potted and well pruned. He'd stop there first. Perhaps the person living there could provide him with clues as to the location of his long lost sibling. His gaze dropped to the frayed bracelet that adorned his wrist. It'd been given to him by his older sister the day Z-City had been attacked.

Their family had been separated and she was lost in the chaos. His heart clenched. Both his mother and father had given up hope on ever seeing her again. But there was something that bit at Souta. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't shake the feeling that his beloved sister was still out there somewhere. Some days were worse than others. There had been times where it felt like she was screaming for him. He clapped a hand on his head as another wave of power flushed through his system.

Just like her, he too had developed this odd power. It was unique in that it rarely took a physical form. It was like an ocean that swirled within them. It ebbed and flowed as it pleased—often rising during times of duress. Its abilities also varied. For him, it served as a link to his sibling. He didn't know if she could feel the rush of power like he could, but he knew when she was fighting. He knew when she was sad. He even knew when she was excited. There'd be a brush against his power and the line that'd connect them would jolt his senses. It'd raise his hopes and he'd try even harder to find her. Souta knew that she was alive and well. It wasn't because he was worried for her that he kept up his search. No, his aim was far more selfish than that. He just wanted to have his sister back. Even if he could sense her through their connection, he missed seeing her.

His expression soured. Things had gotten nearly unbearable at home. His father was more determined than ever to force him into a program he had no interest in. His mother was too meek to stand up to him and their grandfather was on his deathbed. From his blurred memories, he remembered that his sister never really got along with his father either. Then again, his dad wasn't her biological father. It was assumed that the two simply couldn't move past their differences and that was why they weren't able to bear staying in the same room as each other all those years ago.

Souta trudged down the broken concrete. He never knew what exactly triggered the tension between his sibling and his father, but he was always hyper aware of the effects their fights had on her. Even before their family had been separated he was able to sense her emotions as if they were his own. Ever since he'd never been able to look at his father the same again. It was strange to say, but it was almost as if he were _happy_ that she was gone. His hand clenched into fists at his side. Some of their remaining relatives often commented on the closeness he had with his sister. Citing that it was 'strange' for a boy to continually pine after a sibling that was long since dead but he didn't see it that way. There was nothing odd or weird about wanting to return to the only family that loved you unconditionally. His father's love always came with strings attached. He'd get so much quality time with him so long as he performed to a certain standard. The boy's anger rose, his power swelling within in response. He wasn't a dog! He didn't need to be treated as if he were one!

Tears threatened to spill from Souta's eyes. That was why he loved her so much. His sister never expected anything from him. She never pushed him to be anything other than who he was. She never cared that he preferred soccer to baseball. She didn't mind that he was such a huge videogame enthusiast. Hell she even bought several games from her own allowance just to make sure that he was able to fulfill his hobby. He used the edge of his sleeve to wipe away the stray tears. He needed her support now more than ever. So he came back to this place. The city where it all began, and ended. Cobalt eyes narrowed as they surveyed the area. Even with his amateur amount of power he could sense something evil stalking him a short distance away. He needed to find cover, and fast.

* * *

Kagome watched as her guardian skipped off with a few bags of groceries in his hands.

"Go buy some stuff from your market too!" He said.

"It'd give us a half off deal!" He promised.

She glared at his back as she made her way back to her store. Of all the days, today was not one where she wanted to go into work. Be it for personal reasons or otherwise. The young woman pressed her way through the labyrinth of the abandoned section of Z-City. She'd go to the market when she was good and ready. Facing Toushi so soon after Genos had destroyed his shop in a protective rage wasn't exactly on her top 'need to experience' list.

Cobalt eyes narrowed at the ground. That was one hell storm she didn't want to face on her time off. Then again she didn't think that he'd actually blame her. He rarely blamed her for anything their 'customers' did. However that didn't excuse her part in the destruction—or rather her lack of prevention of it. She scratched the side of her head. How the heck was she going to explain it to him? She had no idea.

It was then that a familiar pull strung across her senses like the plucking of a finely tuned wire. There was an enemy nearby. It didn't seem too powerful but she'd rather not underestimate it. Remembering the lessons that Genos and her aniki taught her the night before, the teen shifted into a defensive position. It wasn't a moment too soon as the building before her crashed apart, debris splintering in several different directions. She was forced to squint to see through the smoke. As the teen tried to prepare for the oncoming attack, a young boy came running through the mist of dirt and powdered concrete. His face was set in fear as he pushed his weakened body to flee from the monster behind him.

Kagome didn't waste anytime in grabbing the child by his arm and pulling him to safety. A mass of darkness shifted in the cloud of debris. She moved her arms and thrust all of her power forwards, creating a firm barrier between herself and the monster. The creature slammed into the veil of light. It hissed and screeched in fury as its body sizzled from the contact. The dark-haired girl turned her nose up at the smell of burning flesh. Whatever this thing was, it was disgusting!

"You okay?" She turned to give the boy a once over. Her voice caught in her throat as she recognized the child behind her. "S-Souta?"

"Nee-chan!" The twelve-year-old threw his arms around her waist, completely forgetting about the danger that had chased him here. He buried his face into her stomach and allowed his tears to fall freely. All this time and she was right here! She'd never left! How could they have missed her presence for so long? Kagome fought against the tears as she wrapped one arm around her brother. She used the other to keep her barrier in place. She couldn't afford to lose sight of her goal now. There was more at stake than just her life!

"I need you to stay focused Souta." She tried to reassure him as calmly as she could. The monster was already recoiling like a snake preparing to strike. "We need to fight this thing together. We'll have our happy reunion afterwards, okay?" She smiled at her sobbing brother. Her heart broke at the sight of him. When had he gotten so tall? How much had she really missed in those three years of separation? The boy wiped his tears on the back of his sleeve. He'd cry later. Right now, they needed to fight!

"Alright, I need you to tell me which direction it's going to come from." Kagome's eyes tried to pin down the monster's location but found that she couldn't see anything. Normally her senses would be able to pick up on their movement but as of now her ability to read those alarms were not as good as they normally were. She believed that it had something to do with her lack of focus.

The dark-haired child scanned the area, "It's a little ways over there. It looks like it's going to attack soon." His cobalt eyes glared over at it. From what he could tell it was some sort of beast created from the consumption of human flesh. However that flesh was now rotting away into a revolting mess of black tar.

"There!" He yelled as the mass shifted again. It sprung forward, tendrils of rotting flesh colliding with his sister's barrier once more. The shoots of make-shift limbs splattered across the veil with grotesque results. Black smears of rotting blood and flesh tarnished the once pure light. Kagome's face twisted into disgust. This was getting grosser by the second!

"H-hannndd it ovveerr!" A deep, guttural voice snarled. The siblings jumped at the sound. It was almost feminine but it lacked the _human_ quality to it. Instead, it came out much like a demonic murmur.

The hair on the back of Kagome's neck stood on end. Power washed over her that she hadn't sensed before. What was this thing? The mysterious being towered above the cloud of dust and smoke. On what was presumed to be its face was a scarred noh mask. She felt a chill go through her. There was something about that mask that made her fearful.

Its face leaned down. Then, it shot forward. It's mask speeding towards her tarnished barrier.

"Get down!" Kagome screamed at her brother. He abided by her command by turning around, squatting and guarding the back of his skull by wrapping his arms around his head. She growled as the monster made contact. The barrier shuttered beneath the impact of the collision. Her eyes narrowed and her teeth gnashed together in determination. She would not lose this fight! Souta's trembling form knocked into her legs. The action spurred her to make her first offensive move. The teen willingly dropped the barrier. She only had seconds to spare. Tendrils rained down around them. With as much anger and power as she could muster, Kagome spread her palms forward and pushed outwards. The power from within flowed out of her like the rushing of an ocean wave. A mass of light plowed into the unsuspecting creature. It let out a dying screech. The smell of burning flesh stung the teen's nose. She took a few deep breaths. In between her feet the macabre tar that was once human flesh oozed. It inched forward. A small tendril rose from the burning blood but collapsed back into the mess. The monster… was dead.

Once she was satisfied that it wasn't going to get up again, Kagome turned her attention to her frightened brother. The young woman pushed the fabric of her dress under her legs as she squatted down. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled the boy into her warm embrace. Souta's eyes filled with tears as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He cried his heart out as he clung to the front of her, now ruined, dress.

"Nee-chan!" He sobbed, not caring for the scene that he might cause. "I missed you!" His nails dug into the flesh of her skin. Though Kagome didn't flinch. Instead she placed a protective hand over his head and held him tighter. She couldn't speak as her own tears made her throat heavy with emotion.

"I missed you too Souta." She finally managed. Her arms tightened around him, "Hey," The girl began. He sniffed but encouraged her to continue, "Did I tell you that Saitama-aniki is now a Hero?" The boy laughed.

"Aniki? That geeky neighbor you used to hang out with?" He hiccupped, "He became a hero?"

The dark-haired teen nodded, "Uh huh and a pretty strong one too. I've been staying with him this whole time." She playfully tapped his nose with the tip of her index finger, "And if I remember correctly you started to follow us around too. So you've got no room to call him geeky."

An embarrassed flush spread across Souta's face. She had him there. Though what she didn't know was that he only followed her because he couldn't stand to be around his parents at the time. He felt the most comfortable with her. It was strange, but in some ways, Kagome acted as both mother and father to him during that time. Even now, she was filling in a role that their sires just couldn't seem to take up.

Kagome stood. She held out her palm and offered to help her brother up from the ground. He took it gratefully.

"C'mon, let's go get you cleaned up. You're a mess." She laughed. He looked down at himself and had to agree. His pants were still torn, but now his flesh and the other leg of his jeans were drenched in the foul-smelling concoction of rotting blood. His blue eyes turned to give his sister a scathing stare.

"You aren't much better either," He pointed towards her head, "At least it's not stuck in my hair!" Her laughter grew louder.

"I guess you're right there." Her free hand came to brush over the offending bits of flesh sticking to her person. "Guess we both need a good bath." She turned her face down to the dress, "And new clothes for that matter."

The two siblings walked hand-in-hand through the last block to Saitama's home. They didn't speak much but a line of power pulsated between the two. Souta smiled as his grip on his sister's hand tightened. He finally did it. He found her.

* * *

Genos stared in shock. His golden eyes widened at the sight of his teacher's ward holding the hand of a boy he didn't recognize. However that wasn't what surprised, or scared him, the most. Instead it was the bits of monster goo and small cuts that battered their flesh that took him back.

"You got into a fight?"

Kagome nervously plucked at stray chunks of the Noh Mask, "You could say that." Her gaze slid guiltily over to the kitchen, "Though it was more of a massacre."

The cyborg tried not to let his mouth drop. Sure he expected her to run into trouble on the rare occasion, but he didn't believe that it'd be so soon! He needed to ask his doctor to hurry with that new request! It was quite apparent that she needed the device sooner rather than later.

Souta's hand stilled as his eyes strayed to the teen in front of him. His face was set into a permanent state of shock. His mouth opened and then closed.

"You… You're…" He sucked in a deep breath, "You're that new S-class hero, Genos!" The boy whirled on his sister, "You said that you were living with aniki, you didn't say anything about shacking up with someone as awesome as an S-Class Cyborg!"

Said teen stiffened. He wasn't sure whether that was supposed to be a compliment or an insult. Though he stilled as Kagome laughed at him.

"Don't be so rude! He's aniki's disciple!" She pushed her brother forward and gestured for him to bow politely, "Souta this is Genos-kun. He's staying here while he's training under Saitama-aniki." Her eyes then moved to the cyborg. "Genos-kun, this is my brother Souta. We found each other on the way back here." His eyes softened. So she found them already? He didn't miss the way that his breath hitched and a shot of fear went through him. Would this mean that she'd be leaving when her brother did?

"Nice to meet you." Genos returned the gesture by offering a polite bow of his own. Souta's mouth hung open as he glanced between the two teens.

"I… I…" He took another breath, "I need to clean up!" The boy's eyes turned to Kagome's laughing form, "Where's the bathroom?" She pushed him down the small hallway and into the single room.

"Don't take too long! I still need to change too!"

"Right! Thanks sis!" The twelve-year-old dove headfirst into the bathroom. The sound of the sink running and clothes being shaken out echoed in the tiny apartment.

The dark-haired teen shifted uncomfortably. The blond grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I didn't think I'd see them again," She stated honestly. Her fingers traced over his as she looked towards the room her brother was occupying. "I'm happy, surprised and a tiny bit sad." The last bit shocked him. Why would she be sad?

The girl shook her head, "All this time searching. Where were they?" Her grip on his steel fingers tightened. "I love them but this just seems… weird…" Her eyes became stormy as she looked between her feet and the bathroom. She didn't think it was Souta that was causing this issue within her. Instead her mind flashed to the image of a tall, lanky man with dark hair and matching eyes. Mamoru-san. Why hadn't he come here himself? Why was her brother alone? Better yet, where was her mother in all of this? Anger rose within her. Why was he the only one searching for her here? It was too dangerous! That much was proven true by the appearance of the Noh Mask.

Genos remained silent. He had the same questions as well. It wasn't normal for a boy Souta's age to be out and about on his own. In fact, if he was correct in his thinking, the child should've been in school still. There was no reason for him to be wandering the streets all by his lonesome. A pang of foreboding struck the cyborg. He'd keep an eye on the situation. Something wasn't right about the child sneaking off to search without his parents… or rather _their_ parents, he corrected himself. The thought of someone other than his teacher playing the role of guardian to Kagome struck him as odd. He couldn't imagine anyone else being able to fill those shoes as well as his mentor had. Maybe there was a reason they had been separated in the first place. Golden eyes narrowed. He wasn't liking the insinuation that those thoughts brought up.

The teens were shaken from their musings as the bathroom door slammed shut and Souta emerged in a fresh pair of clothes. Kagome's gaze was drawn to his pack slung over his shoulders. Had he packed those because he had intended on staying out? Now she was even more concerned. She turned and gave Genos a brief smile.

"I gotta go clean up too. Would you mind watching Souta in the mean time?"

Said child growled that he didn't need to be babysat. The cyborg ignored his complaints.

"Consider it done." The blond watched as she picked up another dress and swayed her way into the bathroom. The sound of the shower running reverberated in his mind.

"Hey!" Souta yelled as he squatted in front of the silent teen.

Genos glanced at him curiously.

"You wanna play Manlio Kart?" The dark-haired male gestured to the open case still lying on the table. The blond shrugged.

"Why not."

After that the two were wrapped up in a battle of wits and cars. The sounds of growling and screeching of 'unfair!' resounded throughout the apartment. It appeared as if one of them was losing quite horribly!

After half an hour, Kagome emerged from the bathroom clad in a pale white dress with floral print. Her hair was still a bit damp but she had thrown it into a quick bun to keep it from dripping onto her clothes. The teen took a spot between the two grunting males as they continued their race. Souta pumped his fist into the air as the sign of victory flashed on the screen.

"Yes! I beat you!"

Genos' expression soured. This could not be possible. He had managed to defeat his sensei in this game. How had he lost against a mere boy? Golden eyes narrowed. He needed to sharpen his gaming skills!

The front door unlatched. Three pairs of eyes turned to watch as the knob rotated. Saitama paused long enough to catch the sight of a new visitor to his home. If he was shocked, he didn't show it.

"Oh, it's you Souta." For just that moment, the C-Rank Hero felt like a father coming home to his children doing something horribly wrong.

The controller in the child's hand dropped to the ground. His mouth opened before closing again. Once a thought finally struck him, he pointed his finger at the other man.

"Oh my god you're _BALD_!"


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Nine:**

"Not nice, kid." Saitama reprimanded as he placed his groceries on the kitchen counter. Souta imitated a fish as he stared at his old acquaintance.

"What happened to your _hair_?" The boy's eyes were wide with shock as he looked between Saitama and Kagome. The two shared a look of exasperation between each other. Somehow, this reaction should've been expected.

"It ran away. Now, where are your parents?" Genos didn't miss the sharpness of his teacher's voice when he mentioned the missing adults.

The boy shifted uncomfortably, "They're back home at our grandfather's shrine in J-City. I came out here on my own." Cobalt eyes turned downwards. So that's where they went. She and Saitama-aniki had gone there once or twice but never found hide or hair of her family. Maybe they just missed each other?

The bald man gave the child a piercing stare. He believed him of course but he also felt that something was missing from his story. A huge something at that.

"I'll call them later this evening to inform them that you're alright." The C-Rank Hero started, "However I would like to know what you're doing so far away from home young man. Especially during a school week."

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. There was nothing that got past her aniki's eyes when it came down to school. Even with her, he'd been very particular about her attending school and not missing a day unless she really needed to. The teen simply filed that away as her guardian wanting only for her to do the best that she could in life. It would seem that Souta was now going to get that treatment as well.

The blond remained silent, a controller still clutched in his hand. Perhaps his sensei was going to get to the bottom of this mystery much sooner than expected?

"I skipped." The boy grumbled, "I couldn't stand sitting inside a classroom anymore. Not when…" His voice grew thick with emotion. Kagome leaned over and wrapped her arms around her brother's shoulders. The child leaned into her embrace and tried not to let his tears fall again.

Saitama sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't all that surprising to him that Souta was the one who found her first. The child had always been extremely attached to his sister. However he was still worried about the absence of his parents. Even before Z-City was attacked, it wasn't like Izumi-san or Mamoru to let their son wander around aimlessly. He could only imagine at how much more protective they became since Kagome had 'disappeared'. His dark eyes narrowed. He needed to call his lawyer and quick. Things were about to get dicey.

"Where do they think you are?" The bald man interrogated. He was not about to get busted for housing a run away child.

"I told them that I'd be staying with my friend, Sadao, for a few days." Souta pulled out his phone and showed the string of text messages between himself and his mother. He only contacted his father if he absolutely needed to. If he had his way, his dad would _never_ know about his outing here. Or the fact that he found Kagome. It'd be better if those two remained separated indefinitely.

"Souta," His sister started, "You need to call them." Her voice was soft but her heart was racing. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face her family again. Not after the way things ended before. Her gaze darkened with memories. How would they react? Would they be happy? Would they be upset? Her hands shook as she held her brother closer. She wasn't ready yet. A tiny hand reached up and clung to her arm. He was shaking just as bad as she was. The teen closed her eyes. Right now, they were both scared. She looked at her guardian for support. Her aniki's face was rigid with determination. Whatever happened, she knew that she could trust him to protect her.

Genos remained silent during the interaction. It wasn't his place to butt in. However a fierce wave of protectiveness shot through him at the image of the two siblings holding each other so close. The way they trembled gave way to their fears. There was much that was left unsaid that his eyes picked up on. He could see his teacher attempting to formulate a plan but the edge of nervousness was also etched into his expression. It was obvious by now that his sensei was fearful that whatever custodial rights he had to Kagome would be stripped away; especially since her biological family was going to be stepping into the picture. That notion left a bad taste in his mouth. Her family. To him, they were just these mysterious people shrouded in smoke. They hadn't been there in the past three years. They were obviously alive and well, so why hadn't they searched harder for their missing child? If their son was the one who found her first then it was quite clear that they simply packed up and left without so much as trying. His eyes narrowed. People like that didn't deserve to have her back.

Saitama shook his head, "I'll call them later and let them know. Don't worry about it Kagome-chan." She nodded but held her brother closer. "Why don't you and Souta go ahead and get dinner started? I need to call a few friends anyways." The siblings rose and went to the kitchen to do just as he requested. The cyborg set his controller down as he tried to decide whom to follow. Seeing that Kagome and Souta were wrapped up in each other's arms, he trailed after his teacher. He wanted answers.

* * *

The blond stepped outside to the sight of his teacher pulling out his phone. He closed the door behind him as he moved to listen in—though ensuring to remain in his sensei's sight, as he didn't want to be thought of as an eavesdropper.

"Hey Sesshoumaru," Saitama inquired as the line on the other end grew quiet, "Think you can pull a few favors for me?" The other man growled through the phone piece and made a snarky comment. Genos moved off to the side to give his teacher a wide berth, but his eyes were glued to the scene. Who was Sesshoumaru?

"Oh ha ha, very funny. For your information, no, I don't need a new hair stylist." The bald man rested his shoulders against the exterior of his apartment wall, "I need you to draw up a few documents for me." The cyborg felt his brow twitched. That was twice today that someone took a swipe at his lack of hair. Perhaps he needed to look into concoctions that would help remedy his problem?

"You're my lawyer, of course I expect you do it." The C-Ranked Hero fought the urge to threaten the insufferable male, "It's about my rights as Kagome's guardian. We found her brother… or rather her brother found us." There was a tense silence. The teen waited with bated breath. So that's who that was. A lawyer for parental rights? It did seem strange that they'd need one now. Kagome was already eighteen. What right could her missing family possibly try to fight for?

"Of course I think he will! That man isn't one to be trusted!" Dark eyes narrowed into slits, "I know she's an adult now but I need to make sure that everything is concrete. Who only knows what the bastard will try to pull this time." Now Genos was intrigued. Kagome had mentioned to him the other day that she never really got along with her stepfather. Was it possible that there was a good reason for it? Though if muttering and foot tapping his teacher was anything to go by, he believed so. Golden eyes narrowed into slits. He would not let anyone harm her—family or not.

Saitama sighed, "Besides I've just gotten word about the inheritance from Kikyou and Suikotsu. If he finds out about it…" The blond felt a jolt of shock rumble through his senses. So was that what this was about? His mentor thought that her stepfather would try to pull something if he discovered that the old hag was leaving her money behind? Though he was still surprised that the broad had money to begin with, he was even more surprised that she had already written his teacher's ward into her will.

"Right, see what you can do." With that, the older man hung up the phone.

Genos stood by silently. His eyes were sharp as he quietly implored Saitama to tell him what he knew.

The bald man rubbed his palm over his forehead. This was a damn nightmare.

"How much has she told you?" Came the gruff inquiry.

The cyborg responded, "Not much. Just that they fought a lot."

Saitama nodded, "Good. Now keep this to yourself, but don't trust Mamoru." The older man's eyes turned dangerous, "That _person_ ," He refused to use the word 'man' to describe him, "Has always had it out for Kagome." The teen casually took a spot by his teacher, leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She likes to give people the benefit of the doubt. Especially when it comes to those who are close to her." The males shared a skeptical look, "When I first met Kagome, I thought that perhaps it was just a simple spat between parent and child but as the years dragged on I knew that something was _wrong_." Blond brows shot up into matching hair. Could things have been worse than he thought? "Mamoru was always a very possessive and petulant person. He didn't like anyone being near her mother. Not even Kagome." Metal hands clenched together.

"Many of the fights Kagome had with Mamoru were because he refused to let her spend time with her mother." Saitama's eyes darkened as he looked up at the ceiling above. "Mamoru was and probably still is insecure. Izumi-san, her mother, had been married prior to being with Mamoru. Kagome was the product of that marriage. As a result, he felt threatened by her very existence."

Now he was angry. A full-grown man feeling threatened by a child? For what reason? Because she wasn't his offspring? That was absurd to him.

"Things had only gotten worse as time went on." The bald man tapped his finger on his bicep. If only he had been strong back then. Maybe things wouldn't have turned out as they did. "Kagome eventually started to stay out of the house as much as possible. Her mother was worried of course but even when Kagome did try to go home, Mamoru would throw her stuff out and leave her to fend for herself."

He let out a deep sigh, "I can't tell you the amount of times she had to come over to my place just to sleep. It was the only place she ever felt welcomed at." Unbridled rage swelled within Genos. His hand trembled with the desire to kill. She was such a kind person, why would someone go so far as to hurt her in such a way? Especially a person that was supposed to protect her?

"That day that the city was attacked," Saitama's voice was unusually low, "Mamoru had confronted her about Souta following us." The man's shoulders dropped, "He told her that she was creating a bad influence on _his_ son by bringing him around trash like me." That one was a double-whammy to the cyborg. The insult carried over not to just Kagome but his sensei as well. Where was this Mamoru? He needed to set him straight on a few things. Namely, his treatment of this family. He no longer counted her mother and stepfather as part of her family; they'd been out of the picture for too long. Souta was the exception as he was willing enough to seek her out on his own.

"It was the first time she really argued back." There was a grim smile, "Kagome went toe-to-toe with her stepfather and pulled out all the stops. She told him exactly what she thought of him and his jealousy." The smile faded, "Though her mother ended up getting involved and threw it back on her." There was an edge of irritation, "Izumi-san believed that Kagome was only being difficult because she missed her biological father but that wasn't the case. She only ever wanted Mamoru to accept her and he couldn't do that. Because Izumi-san failed to realize this, Kagome had taken off on her own." The bald man's expression pinched painfully, "The whole world went to shit. A Dragon level monster attacked the city. Kagome was missing, her family was screaming and none of us had a damn clue where she'd gone."

The teen remained quiet. There was a low hum of gears moving at a high rate of speed. Saitama could tell that his student was getting angry and frustrated just hearing the story.

"So I went off to try to find her. Thankfully I didn't have to go far. I discovered her at the alley we first met." This time a small but kind smile spread across the bald man's face, "We were fortunate. We survived the attack and tried to go back to find her family. She and I both knew that the issues between her and Mamoru needed to be resolved."

"By the time we made it back they were gone. Only the bare necessities were taken and her family just disappeared." Saitama knocked his head against the wall, "Spent a whole year looking for them non-stop. Checked all the missing person's databases. Called all the police stations. Nothing. Not a damn clue as to where they might've gone." The older man peered his head around the cyborg to check and see if Kagome was coming. Satisfied that she wasn't about to barge into their conversation, he continued. "Around that time I had filed for temporary, emergency custody of her. She was fifteen. When she turned sixteen and we hadn't seen even a scratch of evidence that her family was still alive, I went to my lawyer and requested to be given full custody."

Genos' eyes widened in shock. He knew that his teacher was her caretaker, but he hadn't realized that, by law, he was also her rightful guardian. That thought made him at ease with the situation.

"It was hard as hell but I was granted full parental rights. In my case, I got lucky since she didn't have any extended family and the only ones who could've objected my claim as guardian were AWOL." The man's face lit up with a rare glimmer of joy, "Ever since then I've been taking care of her. I guess you could say that I'm the closest thing to a father that girl has ever had." The teen nodded. He could see that one. It was in the way they acted around it each other. Although Kagome called him 'aniki' there was something very paternal about the way he interacted with her. Even now, the way Saitama was smiling was reminiscent of proud father than an overprotective brother.

"Listen Genos," Saitama began. The aura around him turned serious, "I meant what I said the other day. I don't want you forcing her into a relationship." The cyborg's shoulders stiffened. When had they gone back to that subject? "However I'm going to trust you with her. I need you to help keep an eye on this. Mamoru isn't a man to be trusted. He's too jealous and possessive. He'd rather ostracize her again than willingly let Kagome back into the family." Golden eyes narrowed. Sure, he could do that. Along with ripping a few limbs apart in the process.

"I'm not about to let that bastard hurt her again." It was a dark oath full of pain and retribution should his hand be forced.

"Count on me!" Genos swore with full determination. This would be a test to prove his worthiness to his teacher. If he was lucky, he would kill two birds with one stone.

Saitama gave him a relieved smile, "Good, because I'll be watching _you_ in the meantime." They shared a small laugh between each other. Some things would never change. For now at least, they were on the same page.

* * *

Dinner had been a quiet affair. Souta spent much of his time cuddling into his sister's side and chatting Genos up about what his experience as an S-Class Hero. By the end of it all, the boy had nearly forgotten that a call to their parents still needed to be placed.

"Oh, that's right." Saitama perked up from his seat, "Souta, might I borrowed your phone for a bit?" The boy shifted in but didn't protest. The older man felt his ward's eyes on him, watching nervously. His student edged closer to her and quickly grabbed her hand. It was the teen's way of showing support. Saitama sighed as he left the apartment to make the dreaded call.

The bald man scrolled through the contacts and then stopped on the one that was labeled 'mom'. He opened it, taking a deep break, and then dialed the number. It rang thrice. The third time a familiar, feminine voice picked up on the other end.

"Souta!" Izumi began with a high-pitched and reprimanding tone, "I got word from your school today. I was letting you stay with Sadao because I believed that you'd be going still! Mamoru is fixing to come get you." There was a bite of frustration in her voice, "We're going to sit down and discuss your skipping habits later tonight young man!"

Finally finding an opening, The C-Rank Hero introduced himself, "It's nice to hear from you again Izumi-san." He could hear a sharp intake of breath. "This is Saitama. Do you remember me?" The older man inquired. He wasn't sure if the woman would have the vaguest idea as to who he was after three years. It'd be best to slowly lead her into this conversation.

"I do." Came the woman's subdued answer.

"Ah, that makes things easier." He commented, "Anyways, I found Souta wandering Z-City earlier today. He's safe now but we'll be bringing him home first thing in the morning." He chose not to inform her of Kagome yet. That would be tomorrow's problem that they'd deal with then. Besides he didn't fancy Mamoru spending hours to hunt down his apartment and then tear into her for her brother's foolishness. His dark eyes narrowed. He wasn't about to let that man harm her like he did before.

"He was all the way out there? Is he alright? May I talk to him?!" Izumi screeched on the other line. The bald man pulled the phone away from his ear. He waited until her screams quieted into a dull roar.

"He's just fine. We just finished dinner so I'll put him on in a minute. First things first," His voice softened somewhat, "How have you been Izumi-san?"

There was a small sob, "I miss her." She cried.

"I miss her so much."

Saitama felt his heart tear into two, "I understand. I'm going to put Souta on now. We'll take him home in the morning so you don't need to worry." The woman on the line agreed as she wiped away her tears. The older man reentered the apartment and handed the boy his phone again.

However before Souta could speak to his mother, Saitama leaned down and whispered, "Say nothing of Kagome. I'd rather they find out tomorrow." The child nodded. That would seem the most appropriate at this time. He held the phone up and spoke.

"Mom?"

Izumi cried, "I love you, Souta."

He felt his own tears start to show again, "I love you too mom."

That night was spent playing human tetris. Saitama was determined to still keep Genos as far away from Kagome as possible. So he laid immediately next to the teen. However Kagome and Souta became squished along the far wall. The girl tucked her legs in and pulled her brother into her arms. The boy didn't rebuff her. Instead he leaned his head into her neck and proceeded to fall into a deep slumber. Sleep was much harder for Kagome to come by. She laid awake, her brother still held tightly in her grasp. She moved her legs only to have her knees knock into her brother's. The girl sighed.

"Whatever you decide we'll support you." Saitama whispered quietly to her. The dark-haired girl looked through the darkness at her guardian. Even in the veil of nightly shadows, he could see the fear and anticipation in her face. Kagome placed a gentle kiss on Souta's head.

"I'm scared…" She finally responded, "…After all this time… I don't want to leave…"

Saitama rolled over to his side, giving the sleeping Genos his back. He stretched his arm out and gently stroked his ward's hair.

"Don't worry. I'll be right there with you."

Kagome held her tears back.

"Thank you aniki." She gave him a smile through her tears, "I love you!"

The bald man felt his heart soften.

"Love you too, kid. Now get to bed. Tomorrow's going to be a long day." She nodded but did as he told. A feeling of ease overtook her. She fell into peaceful sleep. Saitama on the other hand wasn't quite as reassured as her. Come tomorrow, they would all have to face the repercussions of the separation. He wasn't too concerned about Izumi-san. She'd likely accept her daughter's choice. Mamoru on the other hand… His brows furrowed. Would that man even _want_ her back? A chill went through the hero. If it weren't for the fact that they'd be returning Souta when they got back, he got the sneaky suspicion the man would try to throw them all out of "his home". Dark eyes closed. Whatever happened tomorrow he'd deal with then. Right now he needed sleep. So that's what he did. The bald man fell into a dreamless slumber. It was the first time Z-City had been attacked that he hadn't had a dream. That thought alone left him feeling worried.

* * *

Souta fidgeted as he tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. Kagome leaned over and brushed his hair down. It was similar to hers in that it was wild and almost untamable! Genos sat on her other side. He'd been quiet since yesterday but there was something in the way that he hovered over her and would grab her hand that told Kagome that he was worried. Once she was finished helping her brother with his hand, she noticed the blond's hand twitch. She reached over and laced her fingers through his; pressing his hand into the hard plastic of the train they were riding. She cast him a nervous smile. He looked at her and tried to give one of his own but it seemed… stressed. The girl's heart dropped.

He was just as worried as she was.

Saitama watched the interaction with sharp eyes. His student could try as hard as he could to hide his emotions, but it was plain as day that he was concerned about Kagome possibly moving back "home". The bald man sighed heavily. He only hoped that everything went well and that she'd be coming back with them tonight.

It took nearly two hours but the small group finally managed to make it to J-City. The child weaved through the streets as if he'd always done so. Kagome's cobalt eyes watched her brother with a deadpanned expression expression on her face. Just how many times had he skipped to go out? She moved closer to Genos and leaned into his arm. The young man fought the urge to wrap it around her. He promised sensei that he'd be less 'handsy' but that make the urge any less intense. Instead he held it out for her to loop her own through. She followed suit. The blond watched with softened eyes as Kagome leaned into him further. Even if he didn't fully understand some of the emotions he felt, he knew that he didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay right where she was—by his teacher's and his side. That was where she belonged. Not under the roof of some stranger. The cyborg's free hand came up and rested over the one the girl on his arm was using to hang onto him. A light blush tinted her cheeks as she smiled. This was how it was supposed to be.

Souta stopped as he pointed to a long set of stairs.

"We're here!" The child announced. Kagome stared up in awe. The shrine was much bigger than she remembered! The stairway up was extraordinarily tall—nearly the size of a building. The incline was also steep as well, forcing the teen to walk with caution as to not trip over the concrete ledges. Genos walked side-by-side with her to ensure that she didn't fall. Saitama threw a glance their way. He was tempted to intervene but decided not to. His disciple wasn't doing anything than helping Kagome and giving her his support. He turned his dark gaze forward. He'd leave her safety to him for now. The moment of truth was at hand. The bald man's shoulder squared as he shoved his hands into his notorious yellow 'oppai' hoodie. Time for a confrontation.

Souta and Saitama crested the top of the stairway first. Izumi was already waiting. Her face was stained with tears as she rushed forward and drew her son into a tight hug.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" She cried as she pulled the child closer to her, "I swear, you're going to be grounded for the rest of your life!" The dark-haired boy paled. He didn't doubt her threat.

"It's good to see you Izumi-san." The hero interjected. He took in her appearance. Time hadn't done her any justice. Three years ago she was a very vibrant and youthful woman. Now she was but a mere shell of that. Her eyes had dark bags under them and the lines of stress creased her once youthful face. It was as if she had aged ten years instead of three.

The woman opened her mouth to say something to him but her eyes were quickly drawn elsewhere. Genos and Kagome had just reached the top of the stairway, the girl still hanging onto his arm gratefully. The cyborg smiled at her before catching sight of her mother. His body stiffened and the smile dropped from his face.

Tears flowed freely down the older woman's face.

"Kagome?" She questioned, approaching the teen timidly. "Is it really you?"

Said girl shifted uncomfortably, "It is." She tilted her head and smiled at her mother, "I missed you."

Izumi rushed forward and embraced her missing daughter. After all these years she never once thought that she'd see her again! The dark-haired woman cried out her relief as Souta joined them. The mother drew her children to her and held them as close as possible. She was finally home. Her daughter had returned!

Kagome didn't cry. She felt the light sting of tears and the thickness of emotion sealing her throat, but she didn't cry. The teen wasn't sure why but she felt uncomfortable. It was then that she noticed him. At the entryway of the shrine stood Mamoru. He looked almost the same as he did that day. His dark hair was a mess and his dark eyes became a pair of glaring black holes. She felt a chill run down her and pressed her face to her mother's neck. She shouldn't have come here. The girl then turned a pleading look to her sensei. She wanted to go home.

Saitama didn't miss his ward's discomfort.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" He growled at the other male. Mamoru stepped forward but his eyes didn't drop their glare.

"Welcome back." Instead of a hug or warm greeting, he offered his stepdaughter a handshake. Kagome stared at his hand before limply taking it. Had he always been this awkward?

Genos moved forward. His alarms were going off. His teacher had been right when he said that something was utterly _wrong_ in the way Mamoru interacted with Kagome. There was something _dangerous_ about the way the man looked at her. The teen waited until she pulled back to take his place between the two. Without caring for his promise, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She flushed as she leaned into his chest. This would be the one exception. Golden eyes slid over to his sensei. It was a silent request. Saitama glared at his student then shrugged. He'd let it slide this time but he was definitely going to give the kid an earful later tonight for being so grabby.

Izumi sucked in a breath and faced the C-Ranked Hero.

"Have you been watching her this whole time?" His heart softened at the sight of the mother's tears. Unlike her husband, she really was grateful.

"Yes."

She threw her arms around Saitama's neck and squeezed him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you!" The older woman cried through the remnants of her tears. He stood awkwardly in Izumi's hold. He only relaxed when she released him to lead them all inside.

"Come, I've got food ready. Fortunately I've made enough for everyone." The woman smiled as she looked between the three newcomers. Somehow just knowing that it was Saitama that had been raising her daughter in the years that she was gone made her feel that much more secure. That man had always been very doting towards her child. Just like a father.

The group moved inside. Kagome looked around as she took in the changes. The shrine had received a major upgrade since she was last here! Instead of the outdated furniture and electronics, everything was decorated with warm hues and state of the art technology. She believed that last part might have had something to do with Souta's fascination with anything that had a controller. Cobalt eyes turned towards the dinning room. At the center of it was a rectangular oak table that could fit up to six people. Her heart bled a bit. It was the one she and her biological father had made just before he died. Her father had always been a very 'do it yourself' type and an outdoorsman. He often had her help out on his projects and showed Kagome the basics of woodworking before he died. This was the last project they did together. She ran her hand over the table and pointed out the initials that they had left to Genos and Saitama. The cyborg didn't react much but her guardian gave her a warm smile. She had thought that Mamoru got rid of it long ago. It was nice to see it was here after all those years.

The blond moved and offered a chair to Kagome, purposely placing her as far away from Mamoru as possible. He took the seat next to her and used himself as a cyborg shield between the two of them. Souta took up the spot to Saitama's left while Mamoru returned to his familiar chair as head of the table. Two pairs of dark eyes narrowed at each other. It was clear that the man wanted them gone. Izumi returned shortly thereafter, placing bowl after bowl of oden on the table. Kagome offered her mother a grateful smile and gave the woman her thanks. Izumi kissed the top of her daughter's head. Saitama had done well in raising her.

Once all the food was settled, Izumi took up the seat by her husband's side. She cast an imploring glance at him. For once, she hoped that he wouldn't pick a fight. Not after all this time of being separated from her child.

Mamoru took a bite of his food. Then narrowed his eyes at his stepdaughter.

"What have you been up to these last three years?" The dark-haired man started a casual conversation. Though there was a biting edge of something more to his tone. Kagome stiffened but tried not to let it get to her.

"I've been working at a market for the past year to save up for college." She picked at her food. Genos didn't miss the way her voice shook and her head tilted downwards away from them. She was scared. He scooted closer to her and purposely nudged his elbow into her arm. If he couldn't hold her, then at the very least he'd touch her to let her know that he'd be beside her.

Her stepfather's eyes sharpened, "You hadn't already taken the exam?"

The teen's shoulders squared, "I did once."

"And?" His voice became patronizing.

Saitama interjected, "That was my fault. I had asked her to take a year off so she could spend time saving. We didn't have enough to send her just yet." What he didn't say was that due to the emotional stress of dealing with Inuyasha and Kouga, she'd failed the exam by a few points. So she had been spending her free time studying to take it again the following spring. Not that it was any of Mamoru's business anyways.

Said man leaned back in his chair. He looked between Kagome and Genos, noticing the closeness between the two.

"I don't think I've met you." He turned a pointed stare onto the cyborg, "How might you be connected to our Kagome?" The blond didn't miss the possessive twinge to the word 'our'. The girl's grip on her chopsticks tightened. She was about to intervene but Genos beat her to the punch.

"My relationship to Saitama-sensei's family doesn't concern you."

The girl coughed and the bald man tried to hide his smirk. The blond gently patted her back until her coughing fit was settled.

The Higurashi head glared at the presumptuous teen. Bastard was a snarky one!

"Mind your manners boy. You're in _my_ home." He emphasized the 'my'. "Show some respect!"

Kagome waved at her stepfather, "Mamoru-san, Genos-kun is aniki's disciple. He's also an S-Class Hero." She knew that Genos would have preferred not to divulge any information, but she thought it best to warn the man of the teen's destructive power before he thought about taking him on in a fight. At the very least she could say that she tried to warn him. Her hand moved from under the table and took the blond's hands. He was shaking from fury. The girl moved her fingers and threaded them in between his. He lightened his grip to allow her to do so. Kagome smiled as she felt his thumb brush across the joint of her own. He was always so kind to her.

The dark-haired man glared over at the kids. He didn't like this. Not one bit.

"You said disciple. I thought Saitama-san was only C-Ranked?"

It was her aniki that stepped in this time, "Genos was right when he said that the details of our agreement doesn't concern you." He glared across the table, "You may ask for information but you may not get angry or frustrated if we do not offer it up to you immediately." The bald man then leaned back and gave a small smirk, "We'll discuss those things when the time is right."

Oh yeah, the man was utterly _pissed_. Izumi tried to placate the irritated male by redirecting the conversation.

"Kagome-dear, you said that you took the year off. Was there a college in mind that you wanted to go to?" She gave the girl a pleading stare. The teen felt a chill of fear. It was just like old times. Ducking around her stepfather's rage by changing topics or quieting altogether. She didn't want that. She didn't want to repeat that cycle again.

The girl shrugged, "Not as of yet." Her answer was brief. It was then that she leaned into Genos and continued with her meal. If Mamoru wanted to say something, it was cut off by Souta who had been silent the entire time.

"Hey sis, wanna go to the Rumbling Rockets game next Saturday?" His voice was quick and high pitched. Though she didn't miss the fact that it was an invitation to go to his favorite soccer game. The girl smiled at him.

"Sure, I'll just need to put in a request with my manager." The boy's face brightened at her. He gave a toothy grin before devouring his meal. Mamoru chose not to reprimand his son for choosing soccer over baseball. He'd deal with that later. Right now there was one other topic that they needed to discuss.

His eyes narrowed at the male across from him. The bald man barely reacted to his subtle goad. It was time to intervene.

"I hear you've been taking care of Kagome all this time, Saitama-san." The taller man started the conversation casually.

Saitama nodded, "Yeah. It's been three years now." He scratched the back of his head, "Almost seems like one though because it flew by so fast." The man didn't miss the way he cast the girl a wry glance. His brow twitched.

Mamoru didn't acknowledge that statement, "I appreciate everything you've done for _our_ family so far, but there's no need for you to sacrifice anymore. We'll take over her care from now on." A tense silence filled the room. The cyborg to his immediate left appeared as if he wanted to rage. If the boy was smart he'd keep his hands to himself. After all, once everything was all said and done he'd never see his stepdaughter ever again. His wife on the other hand gave him an imploring look. Saitama glared from across the table. It was the first real emotion he'd seen from the man since their reunion.

"That won't be necessary." Kagome was the first to speak. The anger she felt flared to life. She would no longer allow this man to rule her life. "I'm old enough to decide where I want to live," She gave him a challenging stare. "I've stayed this long with aniki. Moving back here would be too disruptive to both my work life and Souta's studies. It'd be best if I remained under Saitama-aniki's guardianship." The teen chose not to clarify to the older man that she was legally an adult now. In her own way, she wanted to test him to see if he'd even remember her age. It'd be foolish of him to try to sue her protector for parental rights when she was no longer a minor. The shame of being laughed at by their lawyers would be enough to teach him a valuable lesson.

Genos' shoulders relaxed somewhat. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until Kagome spoke. A small spark of what could be called happiness shot through him. She wanted to stay. His expression softened. His fears had been unfounded. She was never planning on leaving in the first place. From under the table his hand squeezed hers a little more firmly. Her hand shook in his light grasp. She was scared right now but that wouldn't last much longer, not while he was here. No matter what happened, neither he nor his sensei would not leave tonight without her by their side. She belonged with them. Not here at some practical stranger's house.

They finished their meal in relative silence. Once the women set to work on cleaning up, Genos and Saitama rose from their seats. They shared a sharp glance between each other. Mamoru stood as well. His hand gripped the wood of his chair. His plan was failing miserably. He needed to put a quick stop to this! His eyes watched the way the blond continue stared after his stepdaughter. It was clear that he was interested in her. Perhaps that was something he could use against them.

"I was just being cautious," The taller man began as he noticed the cyborg wander off to help Kagome. For now it was just him and Saitama. This would make things easier. "It wouldn't do for a young woman to be living in a house full of unrelated men. Things could… happen." He snapped his wooden chopsticks in half to emphasize his point. The bald man glared at him.

"I'm fully aware of the risks involved. However I don't find it fair that you're judging that boy before knowing him," The hero crossed his arms over his chest and gave Mamoru his most intense glare that he could muster, "I have my own set of doubts about their relationship but there is one thing that I know I can always rely on." He paused to ensure that the man was still listening. Once satisfied that Mamoru was not tuning him out, he continued, "Genos has a very high drive to protect the ones he cares about. Even if he doesn't understand the notions that his drive implies. If there's one thing that I can trust, then it's the fact that I know that young man would never lay his hands on Kagome." He dropped his arms and got into Mamoru's face, "He'd never hurt her like you have. I'd never allow that to happen a second time."

The dark-haired man's face turned purple with rage. How dare he! Saitama stepped back and gently threw his shoulder into him as to not send the man flying. He merely wanted to warn him.

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer," Mamoru hissed, "That girl _will_ be returning to this home!"

The shorter man smirked, "Go ahead. I've got one on speed dial right now." With that he moved off into the kitchen to collect his ward and disciple. It was time to go home.

* * *

Izumi had secured Kagome's number and a promise from her that she'd return once a week from then on. The teen was okay with that arrangement but she wasn't quite ready to go to the shrine on her own just yet. It was agreed that for the time being either Saitama or Genos would accompany her during her trips back.

The trio sat in silence on the train ride home. It was strangely quiet without Souta around. Though she didn't have to wait long as a string of text messages started to show up on her phone from her brother. She smiled and began to respond to him. The blond next to her closed his eyes. It was the first time in a long while that he felt drained. He was jolted from his daze as the girl next to him leaned her shoulder into his arm. He fought the urge to wrap it around her again. With the way his teacher was glaring at him, he didn't think he'd appreciate it.

His golden eyes turned to look at her. The phone was still clutched in her hands but she had fallen asleep. The teen moved to take the device from her grasp. He sent a quick message to her brother informing him of his sister's condition. With that settled he placed the communication device back into her purse before allowing her to settle into him more comfortably. Saitama sighed as he bit back a protective growl. Genos wasn't doing anything untoward his charge. He wasn't even trying to hold her but there was something utterly possessive about the way he interacted with her. More than anything, he just wanted to keep the kid from turning out like Mamoru. He'd keep an eye on them for now. He'd step in the moment it seemed as if his disciple's actions were going too far.

Genos carried a sleeping Kagome on his back after they docked at their station. He marveled at how light she felt. His hands gripped her legs and shifted her higher on his back as she began to slip. The girl instinctively buried her face at the crook of his neck and shoulder. Puffs of her breath glided across the false skin there. He felt another jolt, this time it was very different from the emotions he experienced before. It wasn't the harshness of possessiveness. Nor was it the softness that he felt back at the diner. It was much more… electrifying. Something spurred within him that he tried to keep contained. Now was not the time. He chanted that mantra over and over again.

The cyborg was nearly grateful as they entered the darkened apartment. Saitama quickly took his ward from Genos and settled her into her futon. The bald man was quick to set up his own and placed himself in between them. The young man quietly took up the all to familiar spot furthest from the dark-haired girl. The fear he had felt earlier was gone completely. In its stead was an emotion that bordered on the anxious. It wasn't sharp like a knife cutting into him but rather a dull edge that slowly rubbed at his soul. He wanted more. He knew that now but he couldn't force it. His golden eyes lit up in the shadowed room. He'd prove his worth to his teacher. Then he'd make his move. With that he climbed into his own bedding. Tomorrow was another day. One that would include his teacher's ward by their sides, right where she belonged.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_Song Drop(s):_ Way Down We Go by Kaleo; Castle by Hasley

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Ten:**

_Saitama stared at the girl standing in his doorway. Her face was pale and dark circles permanently sagged underneath her eyes. She stood awkwardly with a small, yellow pack slung over her shoulder. Her clothes were drenched from the pouring rain as was her backpack. A flash of light followed by the tell tale clap of thunder startled the two neighbors._

" _Can I stay here tonight?" Although it was a question, they both knew that she didn't need to ask. The dark-haired man opened his door fully to let the teenager in. Kagome shook off the remnants of water from her person._

" _You should shower first. You might get sick otherwise." The twenty-year-old took her bag from her, "I'll throw your clothes in the dryer. They should be ready by the time you get out." She nodded at him, trudging quietly through the darkened corridor to his bathroom. Saitama let out a deep sigh as he heard the water run. How many fights was that this week? Five? Six? He lost count. It was only the third day into the new year and it was as if those two could never get along._

_The young man opened his friend's pack and quickly dumped the rain-soaked clothing into his aging dryer. The machine groaned, rocking back and forth at having to do any work. His dark eyes narrowed at the contraption. It sputtered before running into a semi-silent cycle. Saitama then threw the bag over one of the coat hooks hanging from the wall. They'd deal with the rest later._

_When Kagome got out of the shower, her clothes had been folded neatly in front of the door. She quickly opened it enough to grab them. It was slammed shut again for another five minutes. By the time she fully emerged Saitama had made himself comfortable on the couch. He was surfing a few of the emergency channels when he turned to look at his neighbor. His eyes darkened as he took note of her clothes. He wasn't sure if it was the after effect of being in his cranky drying machine or what, but they seemed several sizes too short._

" _They don't fit." The young man stated simply, pointing towards her sleeves that were now barely midway between her forearm and wrist._

_The dark-haired girl's face twisted into a scowl, "That's what I said."_

_He felt the stirrings of rage begin. Was that what the fight was about this time? Getting her the clothes she needed? Damn, he really_ did _need to have a heart-to-heart with Mamoru. This was ridiculous!_

" _Grab your things. We're going shopping." Saitama stood up abruptly. He didn't give a shit what anyone thought. That girl needed to be taken care of. If her family wasn't going to do it then he damn sure was._

" _But you're already struggling aniki!" His heart softened at the nickname she had given him a while back, "I don't want to be a burden!" Kagome implored him not to waste his money on her._

_The young man quickly stepped up to her. He placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and forced her to look him directly in the eyes. She'd developed the nasty habit of looking away or to the ground when someone was talking to her. It was a sign that she no longer valued herself as a person. She saw herself as beneath everyone around her. He needed to teach her to cease that habit immediately. She was absolutely worth more than what Mamoru said. Family or not, he was the piece of trash, not Kagome._

" _You are not a burden." His voice was strong. Kagome's face softened as she nodded at him. He could tell that she didn't quite believe it just yet, but he'd keep at it. She needed to have someone say it to her more often. That child needed all the support she could get with a stepfather like that ruling over her._

_They spent the next couple of hours at a local consignment store. Unfortunately he only had enough to buy her a single pair of clothes and matching shoes. The twenty-year-old had felt himself grow hot with anger as he watched his friend take off her shoes to try on a new pair. Large, red welts had formed over the edges of her feet from wearing the same pair for two years straight as she had grown. It left her skin swollen and rubbed raw from the friction against the confining material. The teen had tried to cover by saying it was just that pair. She'd used Band-Aids and gauze to try to keep her feet from blistering any further. However even he knew that if she wore those shoes for much longer than the risk of permanent, physical damage was likely to occur. That was what pissed him off the most. It didn't matter to Mamoru what pain this child was in, all he ever cared about was himself._

_By the time they returned to Saitama's apartment, she was smiling and laughing again. It was the first thing anyone had bought her in over a year! She had happily told him so and expressed her gratitude at his intervention. Her neighbor on the other hand tried his hardest to conceal his fury. In the last six months alone Kagome grew several inches. She was just beginning to enter a major growth spurt. Now more than ever she needed a change in her wardrobe just for the sake of functionality! The teen grabbed the dark-haired man's hand and led him to his couch. The two settled comfortably onto the cushions with her resting her head against his shoulder._

_Saitama flipped through the channels again. There wasn't much going on but mindless celebrity chatter. His dark eyes narrowed as he flipped back to the first station. He heard the tell tale sound of rhythmic breathing coming from his companion. The young man cast her a quick glance. She was fast asleep. Taking a deep sigh, Saitama gathered her up into his arms. The girl's legs dangled limply as he made his way across the room. Her feet were still wrapped tightly in bandages with red welts peaking out from beneath the white gauze. The old pair of shoes had been thrown in the garbage. Not only were they too small, but also the soles within had long since been torn to shreds and the rubber underneath was peeling away entirely. How had she managed to keep those things in tact for so long? It was a wonder she didn't complain to him more often about bullies considering the state of her dress. The poor girl didn't have anything!_

_Kagome smiled in her sleep, lightly grasping at the cloth of his suit. Gently, he put her to bed on a futon he had spread out just for her earlier in the week. The teen sighed happily in her sleep. He threw her blanket over her and watched as she snuggled into the fabric's warmth. It was such a shame that her biological father died so long ago. She rarely spoke of him, but when she did it was full of nothing but warmth and compassion. It made him wish that he had been given the opportunity to meet the man. Alas, that was never to be. Though the dark-haired man had to wonder what might've happened to her mother to cause her to marry someone like Mamoru. It wasn't natural to him that a woman would want to be with a person that treated their first born as shabbily as this._

_Saitama was not a man that grew attached easily. In fact, many claimed that he was as distant and cold as a person could get before crossing into villainous territory. However there was just something about this child that made him want to help her. The young man stood. Maybe it was just because she was the only person he could call a friend. Maybe it was the fact that she often cooked him dinner and made sure that his home was taken care of without asking for so much as a dime. He never asked her to do such things for him, but she always did. She was always here whenever he got home. His dark eyes softened. In some ways, she was the closest thing to a real family he had in a long time. Maybe that was why he wanted to see her taken care of?_

_Saitama grabbed his phone and walked out onto the balcony. He quickly pulled up his mother's contact and shot her a brief message about the situation. Even though he was physically distant from his parents, they were extremely doting. They also had taken a great liking to Kagome as well. Since the girl was eight, she'd often accompany him home where his parents would treat her as if she were apart of their family. His mother in particular was terrible about spoiling her. So just this once, he'd rely on her to help out. That child needed it after all._

_His mother's response was nearly instantaneous. It only took a few minutes to send all the required sizes that Kagome needed for a new wardrobe. His mother promised that she'd have the clothes to the teen within the next few days. Saitama sent her a quick thanks. With that finished he returned to his apartment and dressed for bed himself. The young man turned off the TV then quietly stepped over his sleeping neighbor to his own futon a few feet away. He threw his blanket back before getting comfortable. Once settled, the twenty-year-old gave one final glance at the dark-haired teen. Even if she didn't show it, Kagome was always stressed out. She never really had time to relax with her stepfather constantly picking meaningless fights with her. An idea popped into his mind. Perhaps he should take her out to eat tomorrow? There was a local, and cheap, burger and shake diner that opened up recently. Maybe that would lighten her mood somewhat._

_He closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep. Tomorrow, he would do what he could to make her feel happy again. She deserved it after everything she'd done for him._

* * *

Saitama awoke with a start. Sweat beaded his brow. It'd been a few days since their visit to the shrine. Since then his memories would keep cropping back up as dreams. He used the edge of his sleeve to wipe away the sticky remnants of his perspiration.

He stared up to the ceiling. If he were to look at Kagome, his defenseless little Kagome, he was sure rage may have overtaken him and he'd find himself rushing back to J-City to strangle Mamoru for all of his transgressions against that girl.

It was still too early to be awake, he noted, seeing the sky becoming a touch lighter. The colors above shifted from dark purple to a little less murky shade of blue. His eyes glided to the clock where the numbers were almost too bright. The flashing lights nearly blinded him. It said a quarter after five in the morning. Saitama huffed, unaware that he had alerted Genos to his being awake.

"Sensei?" He whispered, blinking open his eyes, "Why are you up? Are you concerned over what happened?" The teen referenced the 'meeting' that had taken place a few days ago.

"It's nothing, Genos." Saitama shook his head, shifting to stand up from the futon, "Go back to bed." The floorboards beneath his feet groaned in protest.

Genos gave a small frown but nodded, "Understood, sensei." He rolled away to return to his own dream world again, making sure he had his back to Kagome. As much as he wanted to see her peaceful face, he also wanted to ease his teacher's mind by fulfilling his promise to stay as far away from her as possible. The blond's fingers curled into his fist. He'd withstand for now.

Saitama huffed again, tugging his pajama pants. His eyes fell onto Kagome's snoring form. She had long since kicked her feet out from under her blanket. Her arms were placed on either side of her head with her palms facing upwards. Any other day he would've thought of it as cute but today was different. Instead his gaze was drawn to the scarred pads of her feet. Despite intervening that day, it didn't stop the blisters that had already formed from making their permanent residence on her pale skin. The welts turned into blemishes that would stay with her for the rest of her life—a subtle reminder of her parents' failures.

The bald man leaned down and pulled the cloth back over her exposed limbs. He couldn't stand to look at it. The more he saw the more he wanted to do something he'd likely regret. The young man made his way to the bathroom to relieve himself, the floor shaking with each step he took. He'd be damned if he ever let Mamoru near her again without supervision. He left more scars on that girl than anyone could count. The only problem was that the scars he left were less physical and more emotional. Three years later and Saitama was still picking up the pieces. Though he had to admit that ever since she met Genos, his ward had gotten increasingly better. She no longer devalued herself and was smiling much more than before. He grudgingly had to admit that, that boy had a greater effect on her than he particularly cared for. Not because he didn't trust Genos, but because he knew that his girl was growing up. It was almost time for him to let go. That thought left a bad taste in his mouth.

He only been her guardian for three years yet somehow, he felt jilted on the time he had spent with her. A part of him wished he had fought for her custody much sooner. Regardless of whether they were still together or not. Staying with her family had not done her any justice. The only reason she made it as far as she had today was because he had been the one guiding her. Not Mamoru and definitely not her mother.

A fist clenched at Saitama's side as he thought to the woman's reaction to her daughter. He knew she loved Kagome. She shed tears over her and was so excited when they were reunited. But there was something in the way she continued to pick her husband over her children that burned him. Time and time again that girl had shown up on his doorstep after her mother would fail to protect her. He'd have to do damage control and reassure Kagome that she was worth something. He'd have to tell her over and over again that she wasn't just some burden that weighed them down. His heart tore into two. How many times could mother watch her mate tear her first born down before she'd step in? How many tears had to be shed in order for her to realize the mistakes she had made?

Saitama wasn't a fool. He knew that Izumi-san had her own fair share of problems—namely moving past the death of her first husband. Though her pain didn't eclipse the fact that she had failed and was currently failing her daughter by letting that man abuse her. Even if he never physically laid a hand on her, he did something far worse. He tore that girl down when she was the most vulnerable and then left her to rot. Mamoru never lifted a finger to help Kagome. If had his way, the young woman sleeping safely in his living room would still have been with them, possibly physically disfigured, from the amount of neglect that she had suffered at their hands. In all likelihood, she'd still be wearing those same pair of shoes he had tossed away that day. The thought made him furious. What right did a monster like that have to declare himself her guardian? He was no protector. He wasn't even a man!

He silently closed the bathroom door behind him as he finished his business. He padded his way back out into the living room as quietly as possible. His eyes immediately softened at the sight. Kagome had moved again. This time, she had rolled all the way over onto Saitama's futon. Her blankets had gotten wrapped up in the movement and cocooned around her torso. The girl's arms where laid directly in front of her, with her hands resting on his pillow. She cracked an eye open.

"Love you, aniki." The girl muttered in between sleepy groans. Then she closed her eyes again and fell back into her slumber.

The bald man sighed as he quickly untangled his ward. Though Genos was turned away from them, he could see the remnant of a smile spread across the boy's lips from the angle he was standing at. Normally he would've felt a tad bit annoyed. However today he chose not to acknowledge it. Instead he crawled into his futon, using his body as a nice barricade between the two teenagers. Saitama threw an arm over Kagome's sleeping form before closing his eyes. Dawn would come in a few more hours. Then he'd make the call to their landlord. They all needed a little bit of space. In particular, he needed to put some kind of wall between Kagome and Genos. No matter how hard he tried it seemed as if those two were always after each other, even in their sleep.

* * *

Kagome was the first to rise, as she had to work an opening shift at the shop. She was still a bit nervous however Toushi had messaged her over her time off. He let her know that everything was back in working order and that he'd have someone on shift with her at all times, namely Kishi, a young man not that much older than herself who was married. He had married his long time girlfriend shortly after they graduated from high school and had been with her ever since. Those two were virtually inseparable.

The dark-haired teen quickly dressed. She picked out a few ingredients and whipped up a quick breakfast for the sleeping males. Once it was finished, she wrapped up the meals and stored them away for later. Kagome cast her guardian and his disciple one last glance. Warmth spread across her cheeks as a flush of happiness went through her. She was home.

The door clicked behind her.

Most of the morning at the shop had been uneventful. However Kikyou-baa was tailing her more blatantly than ever. Kagome fought the urge to sigh as the woman's scooter nearly ran into the back of her legs. She turned and cast the woman an unimpressed stare. Kikyou smirked as she playfully revved the engine.

"Not cool." Came the teen's response.

"Give it sixty years, you'll be just like me!" The white-haired woman cackled. She zoomed circles around her little bird. "Besides, you never told me what happened with Robo Cop!" A wide grin spread across her age-weathered face. "Did you give him a nice kiss for all the effort he put into beating down those mongrels?" The teen turned red-faced.

"Kikyou-baa! Not here!" She hissed, her blue eyes darting around the shop to make sure that no one heard.

"Oh, so something did happen!" The old woman patted the empty passenger seat, "Come my Little Bird, tell old Mama Bear all about it!" And so she did. Even the part about meeting with her lost family.

Kikyou showed her wisdom by nodding her head and saying, "Ah I see. So you've set a trap?" Kagome affirmed her question. "What happens from here?" The woman's voice dropped its usual singsong tone; it was now deep and full of the seriousness that experience brought.

"We wait," The teen started, "I know that he'll try something." Cobalt eyes hardened, "So Saitama-aniki already put Sesshoumaru-san on alert just in case."

Her companion nodded again, "Yes, that is best." The older woman's countenance suddenly darkened, "Though do keep in mind that should you ever need the help, I'm only one message away." She flashed the younger female a peace sign.

Kagome laughed, "I sure will! Now, about Genos-kun…" She trailed off as her heart skipped a beat, "I think I'm…" Her voice left her as the rapid pulsing of her heart caused her to tremble.

Kikyou pulled on a teasing smile, "What seems to be the problem, my darling little bird?" She already knew but chose to wait to hear from the girl directly. Sometimes saying it aloud is best. Besides, if the boy showed up randomly to 'check on her' then it'd be even better! What a way to play matchmaker!

Kagome flustered at her implication, but didn't bother putting a brake to that, "What am I to do about Saitama-aniki? I know he doesn't want us to date."

The old woman rose a brow, "Now, I wonder why..." She hummed, "You're a growing woman, my dear. He just doesn't want to lose his baby girl." The dark haired girl looked down at her feet and shuffled them. While that was true there was also another reason that bit at the back of her consciousness. She tugged nervously at the sleeve of her shirt.

"He thinks it's too soon and I agree with him. Genos-kun doesn't deserve to be a rebound." Kagome slumped, wounding her arms around herself, looking defeated. "He deserves better."

Ah, there's that problem again. Kikyou stopped her sigh from coming forth. They needed to do some serious confidence boosting! She patted Kagome's arm, "Come with me real quick, won't you, dear? I have something I'd like you to see."

The teen took a brief glance around. She caught sight of Kishi stocking the shelves while shooting occasional glances towards the entrance. Good, he'd be able to hold down the fort while she was gone. With that she fully seated herself on Kikyou's scooter as the older woman revved the engine and sped out of the market. A tire squealed and puffs of smoke pillared up towards her nose.

When they finally stopped, Kagome had to brace herself against Kikyou to keep from flying off of the vehicle.

"We're here!" She chirped, pointing towards an abandoned shop just across the street. The teen gave her self-proclaimed protector an unimpressed glance.

"What exactly is here?" She queried, dismounting the scooter. Kikyou followed suit and led the younger woman inside.

"This used to be a shop I owned many years ago." Came the unexpected answer, "I used to sell a lot of _unique_ things. Mostly illegal weapons." She cocked her head and winked at the girl, "So I saw my fair share of interesting characters. How do you think I became the witch I am today?" Kagome chose not to respond to that.

"However there was one person that I remember the most." Her normal playful expression turned soft, "He used to come by often. Threatened to shut down my operation a few times since he was one of those 'moral' types of people. Also a massive busy body and nosy." Kikyou's smile turned bright at the memory, "He was the only man that ever captured my heart."

Kagome felt herself smiling back at the older woman.

"However I was a bit of a stubborn idiot when I was your age," She shot her a knowing glance as Kagome flushed, "I kept turning him down over and over again. Eventually he moved on and when I was finally ready to settle down, he wanted nothing to do with me." There was a tense silence for a few moments.

"I passed up the chance to be with the person I loved because I was just so focused on my own ambitions." Kikyou moved to wrap her arms around the girl, "Don't make my mistake. Don't keep that young man waiting because you're afraid." She withdrew a mirror from her pocket, "Have a little confidence Little Bird." Time weathered hands opened the mirror to reveal an image of Kagome reflecting right back at her, "You're worth much more than you know."

Kagome fought against the tears that threatened to fall, "But… I just don't want to hurt him. What if it really is just a rebound?"

Kikyou smiled kindly at her, "Look at yourself child." She showed her the mirror again, "Would someone only interested in a rebound cry over their lover like you are now? No, dear Little Bird. What you have for that boy is much stronger. Trust in those feelings." She handed her the object. Kagome's hands shook as she looked at herself. Was t his was Genos-kun saw? Not a burden but a woman who cared for him? The tears fell noiselessly onto the ground. Maybe she was stalling for nothing. Maybe it was time to take that first step.

"You're an adult. You can decide whom you want to be with on your own," The older woman gave her a small, affectionate kiss to her forehead. "Saitama-san is just going to have to get used to you wanting to grow up. It's a natural part of life." Kagome nodded. She was right. It was time she stopped living in the past. Mamoru and his hurtful words far behind her, the teen thought to Genos and the future. The next time she saw him she'd talk to him.

The girls were interrupted as an alarm blared over the loud speaker.

"Warning a Dragon level threat has been detected! Please evacuate immediately!" Kagome paled as the words hung heavy in the air. Dragon? It'd been a long time since such a disaster level had occurred! She was distracted as her phone went off. It was a message from Genos.

_I'm going to try to stop the meteor. You need to evacuate. Stay safe._

The two women shared a fearful look.

"Hop on!" Kikyou roared as her scooter flared to life. Kagome took her spot in the passenger seat. They floored it back to the market only to see a blazing comet hanging ominously over their heards.

"Oh no…" The teen trailed off. Her mouth dropped at the sight. Evacuating wasn't going to do any good. That thing was going to kill them all. She stared at her phone, holding back the tears. Had she been too late? Kikyou took her had and squeezed it reassuringly. Neither she nor the rest of the B.A.O.P. Squad had ever been the type to flee from danger. That wasn't about to change now.

Blue eyes turned towards the crimson sky. She prayed that Genos would remain safe. They watched in amazement as a spiral of rockets shot into the air. They blasted themselves into the hunk of rock threatening to crush them all beneath its alien weight. A cloud of smoke flared around the area however once it cleared it became apparent that the attack had done nothing to stop it.

Kagome bit her lip. That wasn't Genos. As far as she knew he didn't carry any missiles. Perhaps another S-Class Hero? The girl's heart stopped as a beam of light surrounded by blue electricity penetrated the air. That was her cyborg, she just knew it! Her hand clenched into a tight fist.

"Do it! You can crush it!" Kagome found herself yelling. The crowd that had gathered around them began to chant as well.

"Go Robo Cop!"

"Blast that fucker to bits!"

"Do it Genos-kun!" Kagome screamed again as the beam intensified. She hoped but alas, it was not to be. Her face contorted into horror as the light faded and the meteor kept falling. He failed.

"Genos!" She cried again, not caring that she had dropped his honorific. Even if he couldn't hear her, she'd still support him. The teen closed her eyes as her heart tore into two. They were going to die… and she never even got to tell him.

Before anyone knew what happened, the meteor split apart. Hundreds of splinters of the space rock rained down on them. Kagome screamed as Kikyou threw herself over the girl. The ground beneath them trembled and the shop that the older woman had just shown her crumbled. The old woman's hands hung to her tightly. Once the earth stood still the group slowly gathered their senses.

"Are you okay?" Kikyou inquired, brushing a stray hair away from her Little Bird's face. Kagome nodded in affirmation but didn't speak. Where was Genos? Was he alright? She didn't have to ask to know that it had been her aniki that destroyed the meteor. He was the only one who ever could have.

"I need to find him." Kagome started. She stood on shaky legs and started to walk towards the destruction. "I have to tell him."

The white-haired woman smiled, "Just wait here child, he'll find you."

* * *

Genos gave Bang a critical once over. The older man's arms were covered in red welts and blisters, symptoms of having been burned by the heat of his metallic body.

"Your wounds…" The cyborg started, guilt beginning to tear at him from the mere sight. The S-Class Hero shook his head.

"These are but minor flesh wounds. They'll heal themselves shortly." White hair rustled in the wind as large chunks of the meteor fell to the earth. Buildings trembled and turned. Heaps of brick tumbled to the unsuspecting crowd below. The blond haired teen tried to stay focused but his mind kept drifting towards Kagome during the chaos. Where was she? Was she alright? He needed to find her. Saitama wasn't with her. She was alone and likely by herself in the market. The young man took a single step forward. Broken gravel of tar crumbled beneath his foot. The thought of his teacher's ward being left unaccompanied during this time made him anxious. After everything that happened in these last couple of days, he couldn't bear the thought of leaving her alone during such a time.

He pressed his way through the crowded streets. Large chunks of space rock stuck up from the ground. Groups of people gathered in the streets. Families huddled together happily as they shed tears of joy. As he turned the corner he caught sight of a young couple running at each other full speed. The S-Class Hero's pace slowed, entranced by the image. The girl flung herself at the male. She threw her arms around his neck as he held her up by her waist. Genos watched shamelessly. That was similar to the way Kagome often hugged him. His hand twitched at his side. The desire to find her becoming stronger. Just as the cyborg was about to leave he cast one last glance at the overly excited couple. The male slammed his lips against his woman's and they were locked in a passionate embrace. The blond could only watch in shock. His mind supplemented a very different image of himself and the dark-haired girl that was currently haunting him.

He knew what he had to do but that still didn't make the journey any less difficult. His eyes hardened. If he wanted his 'relationship' with Kagome to go anywhere, then he'd need to prove himself to his teacher first. That was the only way he could ever truly make that first move. The whole trip to back to the market Genos was plagued with the image of the couple. He knew now just how desperately he wanted that with her. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, and so much more. The young man paused in his tracks as a familiar, apple green colored building came into view.

There was a jolt in his senses that mimicked the skipping of a heartbeat. Kagome stood outside, dressed in her usual uniform of a matching apron and white button down shirt. Her hair had been tied back into a ponytail but the wind caused it to whip around freely, blocking her face from view. Genos approached.

"Kagome?" He called out softly. Said girl turned on the ball of her heel. Tears of joy filled her eyes as she rushed at him. The cyborg opened his arms as she threw herself into him. She hugged him tightly around his torso as his own arms went around her shoulders and waist. At that moment he was grateful that his body had cooled enough not to cause her any damage as he did to Bang. Since he had been forced to tear his shirt to move his core into his arm, she was coming into direct contact with the heated metal. If he had accidentally burned her, she didn't say a word about it.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" The teen cried out as she buried her face into his bare chest. His grip on her tightened.

"It was sensei. He was the one who stopped the meteor." Genos closed his eyes. Was this what contentment felt like?

She nodded, "I know, but I was worried about you." Kagome tilted her head up. Her cobalt eyes stared directly into his golden ones—searching for something. The S-Rank Hero felt her hand come up and gently caress his cheek. "You did your best." A small smile spread across the girl's face, "All that matters is that you're home safe." He didn't miss the way she had mimicked his lesson from before. Come home safe. That was what he had told her was the most important thing. Before he knew it, his arms had secured themselves around her waist. He drew her close as her hand remained on his cheek. She trailed her thumb over the ridge of skin there. The young woman's free hand moved to his chest. With her palm flat against the breastplate of his shirtless body, he began to feel the electrifying shocks from before. A puff of air blew through the vents of his body—a minor attempt to cool him before his brain could overheat. The blond tried not to let his emotions rule him, however he became distracted by the way Kagome was looking at his face…. or rather his mouth. There was a deep flush on her face. She seemed so… entranced.

His breath hitched as she angled her head upwards. Her hands stilled as his grip tightened, pulling her ever closer to him. Was this the right time? Would it be appropriate? What about sensei? Could he face him afterwards if he did? All thoughts left his mind as the teen in his arms timidly pressed her lips to his. It was soft and skittish—almost as if she were fearful of the reaction that she might receive. The cyborg's response was immediate. The arm that was resting around her waist shifted to wrap nearly entirely around her form, while the other one repositioned itself to tangle itself in her hair. Genos pressed his lips firmly against hers as he pulled her into him. This felt right. He closed his eyes as he continued to kiss her.

The kiss was firm but not frenzied. He knew that he didn't want to push Kagome. Likely, the fear of death caused the sudden desire within her. Death always seemed to have a way of brining out the passion in others. Perhaps he was taking too many liberties with his teacher's ward but he no longer cared. He wasn't about to deny her. Not now, not ever. Especially not when he knew she wanted this just as badly as he did. Her lips moved against his rhythmically and he followed her lead, letting her get comfortable with this new development. It was when she gasped that he had to force himself not to take any more liberties than he already had.

The dark-haired woman's hands moved again. The one that had been caressing his face moved to his back. The other one followed suit as her nails dug into the hard metal of his body, leaving small trails of scratch marks down his spine. An almost human chill shot through him. Kagome's torso was flush against his. He could feel nearly every part of her pressed against him. Genos once again fought the urge to deepen their kiss. He wanted so much more, but he needed her to make that transition. It'd have to be on her terms. He didn't want to be another Inuyasha or Kouga. He wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to.

The two only broke apart when she needed to breathe. The young woman heaved within his grasp. Her eyes were glossy and her lips were swollen. He angled his head down again silently asking for permission to continue. She obliged. This time she pressed a hand to the back of his head and encouraged him to be a bit more vigorous. The blond complied. They didn't stop until several minutes later, when her phone began to vibrate from an incoming call. Genos smiled as she blushed heavily. It was cute. He loosened his hold around her somewhat to give her ample space to grab her cell and answer the call. However he found himself being unable to let go of her entirely. His hands were definitely working against him today. They just seemed to have a dirty mind of their own!

"Yes, I'm fine." Her face lost some of its color but the glimmer of sheer joy was still etched into her features. The cyborg felt a bit of pride at that. He was the one who caused that look, not Inuyasha or anyone else for that matter. "I'll be over tomorrow. See you then." Kagome hung up the phone. She turned in the teen's arms. It was then that her flush returned in full force. "That was my mom. She wants me to visit."

Well that was a mood kill. Genos nodded at her, "I'll go with you then."

Still in his arms, the dark-haired girl blushed heavily once she realized what she had done, "Um… I'm sorry?" It was a question rather than a statement. That was the only indicator he needed to know that she _didn't_ regret the moment of passion they just shared.

He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers again. This time it was soft and fully of kindness, "Don't be." He stated heatedly against her lips. Now he knew he was taking too many liberties, but damn it, it felt good! His sensei was going to kill him later.

"Maybe we should talk before going home?" Kagome breathed, though it came more as a string of words being exhaled rapidly.

"Probably so." He smiled gently at her, refusing to move his arm from her waist. Maybe now was the right time after all? "Do you wish to return to that diner? It's still open. I saw it on my way here." The blond suggested. The place was quickly becoming a favorite spot for the two of them.

The young woman nodded vigorously, "Sounds good to me." Though the redness in her face didn't fade. In fact, if he squinted, he would've almost noticed the slightly darker tint to it. A sense of male pride shot through him. Whatever happened from here on out, he was sure it would be good.

Kagome pointed to his bare chest, "Though I think we need to fix that first. I don't believe they'll serve you without a shirt. Disaster or not." He let himself laugh at the thought.

"Probably not. Shall we go shopping then too?" His expression softened at the way her face lit up.

"Sounds good to me!" Her arm looped around his waist as well. "Just follow me!" And so he did.

* * *

Saitama stared blankly at the television screen. It'd been reporting the destruction of the meteor for a while now. He was starting to get bored. Wasn't there something else going on in the world right now?

He flipped the channel, certain that he was going to find the same thing playing as well. However he was mildly surprised to see the "Celebrity Chat!" information pop up. The bald man settled on his couch and listened as the anchor babbled on about the new movie, _Night of the Blood Lamb_. Everyone was so gung ho about that damn thing. Maybe he needed to see it too? If only to see what the hype was all about. The image flashed again as the message "Live in Z-City!" flared to life. His expression dropped. Back to this again? Just as he was about to shut off the contraption, the reporter suddenly squealed in delight and requested the cameraman to 'capture that!'. His dark eyes narrowed as a familiar pair appeared on the screen.

It was Kagome and Genos…. And they were kissing. Passionately. Paternal rage rose within him at the sight of his baby girl wrapped up in the cyborg's embrace. Hadn't he _just_ talked to that boy about all of this? Where were they now? How long had this been going on? Why the hell was he just sitting here!? Still dressed in his cape, the C-Rank Hero marched out of his home and to the street below. Someone had some explaining to do! And their excuses better be good too!

He followed the trail of slowly increasing reporters to the scene of the crime. His face darkened as he took note of which diner they were at. That little bastard! The bald man pushed his way past the overly excited celebrity reporters. One woman in particular was chattering away. As he passed he only caught a small glimpse into her 'expert analysis' of the situation.

"After the threat of being annihilated by a meteor, the 17th S-Ranked Hero, Genos, has been spotted kissing a young lady and brought her here to this restaurant!" She winked saucily at the camera; "Perhaps everyone's favorite cyborg has had a girlfriend all this time and decided to take her out on a date?" She rubbed her chin mischievously, "He's always been such a private person. This is a rare glimmer into the man that is Genos!" She made a gesture under the view of the camera to signal the end of the interview, "We'll keep an eye on this situation and report our findings as soon as we learn more. Stay tuned everyone!"

As Saitama passed, he grabbed the object within the reporter's grasp. The camera cracked then split apart into a thousand pieces.

"Hey! What was that for you freak!" The woman hissed. He shoved past them without saying a word. Damn leeches.

The caped man made his way into the diner. A familiar face stared back at him. The older waitress smiled as she pointed towards the couple sitting in a booth towards the back. He felt his anger rise again when he realized that his student was still hanging onto his ward. This would not do. Not at all!

Saitama had been fully intending on crashing their little 'date' when tidbits of their conversation bled into his ear.

"I don't want to force anything." Genos started as his arm tightened around her waist. Damn, couldn't he stop that somehow? He was negating himself every time he did it! "But I also won't deny that I am…" The cyborg struggled with the right word once more, "Attached to you." The offending limb refused to move. In retaliation, his traitorous fingers curled over the fabric of her shirt. Kagome's blush returned in full force.

"I know I have been… _attached_ as well." She leaned into his chest, resting her head over his broad shoulder, "Still, I do believe that we should talk to aniki first. I don't think he'd be very comfortable given our situation."

The blond nodded, "I agree. I promised that I wouldn't push you into anything before you were ready," His used his free hand to tilt her head up. His fierce golden gaze stared down into her own cobalt ones intently, "I won't do so now. If you feel uncomfortable at all, please tell me. I won't do anything that you do not wish for."

It was then that the young man felt his sensors go off. A serious danger was lurking nearby. His head snapped around to see a fuming Saitama standing behind him. Genos was not ashamed to admit that he was more than a tad bit fearful of the furious man.

"I found you." The statement was full of dark intentions. The blond immediately dropped his arm and moved to the other side of the booth, making room for his teacher to sit next to Kagome. Said girl fought the urge to sigh at her guardian's behavior.

"Aniki, please sit down and don't make a scene." She shot him a pointed glare, "I'd rather we discuss this civilly. Besides, I like the food here! I'd rather you not destroy the place in a rampage."

The bald man grunted but complied. He crossed his arms over his chest and shot his disciple a withering glare. Said boy tried not to fear the consequences of his actions. Oh yeah, he was in deep shit.

Kagome was the first to start the conversation, "Now before you say anything, what happened today was of my choosing." She turned a sharp stare onto her guardian, "Genos didn't do anything untoward. He merely reacted to my advances." She sucked on her shake as Saitama seethed. "I don't want you to have the wrong idea about it aniki. I made that decision myself." His brow twitched at the lack of honorifics being used.

The Hero couldn't argue with her on that point, but he would still hold Genos responsible. He was supposed to have come to him directly for permission damn it!

Kagome sucked in a breath. This would be the hardest part, "We've been talking since then and agreed on a few things." She turned her gaze and implored Genos to start the next part of this conversation. He didn't miss her subtle gesture.

"We don't want to do anything without your express permission, sensei." The blond began, "However we know that we would like to enter into an exclusive relationship." Saitama glared over at the young man. He wanted to be angry with him. He wanted to blame him, yet somehow hearing that part made him unable to lash out.

"I'm fully willing to move out if that's what it takes," His golden eyes settled on his mentor's dark ones fiercely. "It's clear that we do need to establish a few more boundaries to ensure that we respect your rules."

Saitama couldn't help the snort of laughter at the back of his throat. His boundaries weren't worth shit now! Those two would find a way regardless. He was tempted to tell the cyborg to pack all his stuff when they got home and move out immediately though he stopped himself. Even in this state, he knew that much of his rage was stemming from his less rational paternal side. He needed to hear his student out first. Then he'd make his decision.

"What are your stipulations, Saitama-sensei? We'll abide by them as much as possible." The bald man couldn't find himself to argue with a determined Genos. That boy was always so intense. Now that intensity seemed to triple when it came to securing himself a relationship with Kagome. The man pinched the bridge of his nose once more. Damn teenagers!

"So to make things clear, you two plan on going out regardless. Is that correct?" They nodded simultaneously at his question. "Alright then the new ground rules will be fairly simple. No sex under my roof," Kagome went fifty shades of red while Genos' face seemed to take on an interesting look. He wasn't sure if he was thinking about such a situation or embarrassed by the thought. For the kid's sake, he'd better hope it was the latter. "Next, clothes are to remain on you at all times. If you want to strip then you'll have to do it in the bathroom." Saitama's mind supplemented him with images that he'd rather not think about, "And _alone_. No hanky panky in there either." Both of the teens remained silent though they were listening to him with rapt attention. "Also I don't want to come home to find you tonguing each other." A bulb went off over his head, "Think of it as being out in public when you're in my home. Do only what you'd want reporters would see. Any affection you show should be G-rated and mild a best. If you want to do more then you'll have to go somewhere else."

The older man felt a sick twist in his stomach at the thought. Why was this so hard? "Lastly," he began, "I've gotten explicit permission from our landlord to renovate our apartment. The both of you will be getting your own rooms and Kagome will have her own bathroom as well." He dark eyes settled onto them. "At no point should either of you be sleeping together while living with me. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir!" The new couple echoed together. Saitama fought the urge to sigh. What was he doing? He should be berating them and telling them that they weren't to date under any circumstances. However one glance at his ward and he could see that she was brimming with joy. Fuck, now he really _couldn't_ say no.

"Alright, now let's eat. I'm starved." The three shared a laugh. This was the first time they'd all really gone out to eat like this. Kagome smiled as she looked between her guardian and new boyfriend. Somehow, it felt like this was how it was always supposed to have been.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Eleven:**

Kagome rested her head on Genos' lap. Her guardian had left much earlier in the day. He had claimed that he had an important person to meet with later. She tried not to think on who it could've been. The person that first popped into her head was Sesshoumaru. It was likely that her aniki needed to discuss a few more things with him in order to seal their defense against any case that Mamoru might try to throw at them. The teen sighed happily as a metal hand brushed through her hair gently. She closed her eyes and relished in the simple touch. Really she shouldn't even be lying on him like this but she'd been so tired after yesterday's events. Not even a night's rest made her feel better. So her boyfriend suggested that she try to sleep on him. It was awkward at first, particularly because she couldn't stop blushing. However the way Genos would affectionately run his hands through her hair calmed her down enough to finally fall asleep. She was only just now waking, four hours later.

The young woman sat up and stretched her arms high in the air. She opened her mouth and let out a wide yawn.

"Feel better?" The blond ask, a smile tugging at his lips.

She nodded vigorously, "Much! Thanks Genos!" Kagome returned his smile with a bright grin of her own. She found that he enjoyed it when she didn't use any honorific to his name, so she dropped the '-kun' entirely. He hummed in satisfaction. The dark-haired girl then started to lean her shoulder into his arm. The S-Rank Hero quickly wrapped it around her waist and pulled her flush against his side with her face resting on his chest. Kagome tilted her head upwards. The blond took up the offer by placing a gentle kiss on her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed. The sight of the minor action caused the electrifying shocks to run through Genos again. He closed his own eyes and pressed his lips further into hers, deepening it. The world around them almost blurred into nothing. _Almost_.

"So what do you think of yesterday's events Sweet Mask-san?" The anchor, who they learned was called Akira, questioned the A-Rank Hero. The couple ignored the television. The young man's arms had gone around his girlfriend completely as she shifted even closer to him; now just one move away from sitting in his lap. He found his arms tightening around her waist, subtly encouraging her to do so. He felt her leg shift, brushing across his thigh.

"I find it distasteful that an S-Class like Genos would put on such a public display of affection." The two immediately stopped what they were doing and snapped their heads towards the screen. Kagome moved back to stare at the unwelcomed bit of criticism unfold on live television. The blue-haired man scowled ever so slightly, "S-Class is the last line of defense. What good is a Hero if he can't even control his urges in public?" Sweet Mask continued as he flipped his now shoulder length hair with a quick swish of his hand, "Sometimes using a little bit of discretion is best."

The channel cut to a commercial and the teens were left reeling. Genos was furious. How dare someone tell him what to do on his personal time! He grabbed his phone, intent on placing a call to the station to 'clear the air'. Kagome wrapped her hands around his own. She shook her head before gently kissing him again.

"Someone like that isn't worth the effort," She smiled up at him, "Besides, he's probably just jealous that you're getting all of this attention recently." Her expression dropped into what one could call a troll face, "Being an actor is incredibly tough. Especially when the cameras aren't trained on you." She gave her boyfriend a playful wink.

The blond sighed and put his cell away. She had a point. The man was likely just envious that the media was targeting him. Damn, couldn't he do something to make those leeches go away? They were such a nuisance! On more than one occasion he'd caught them stalking him out in public. Usually when he was just out buying groceries or hanging around Kagome's market until she got off of work. Thankfully they hadn't put two and two together before the meteor incident.

Kagome tugged on his hand and encouraged him to stand up, "C'mon, let's go get ready. Mom wants us over before five tonight."

Genos glanced at the clock. They were already pushing two-thirty and it'd be at least two hours before they'd reach J-City. He reluctantly agreed.

His girlfriend stopped as her phone went off. She looked over the message and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He gave her a curious stare.

"Mom said that Mamoru-san won't be there tonight. Something about having an important meeting to go to." Kagome grinned at him. The cyborg felt a wave of relief. Good, now he didn't have to worry about whether he'd need to burn a bastard tonight. The young man wrapped his arm around the girl. Even though he still had difficulties placing some of his emotions he found that when he was with her, everything became clearer. His fingers curled over the fabric of Kagome's shirt. Like now he could tell that what he was feeling was both relief and protectiveness. Maybe in a few days he'd be able to place the electrifying sensation from before? Though something nagged in the back of his mind—warning him that his teacher would not like what that emotion might be. Perhaps a visit to the doctor would be necessary? After all that device for Kagome should be ready by now anyways. Plus he had a few questions for him.

The couple dressed into more proper attire and left Saitama's apartment. Genos locked the door and turned his attention back to his girlfriend. He locked his arm around her shoulders as they made the long trek to her family's shrine. He hoped that this would be a much more pleasant visit than the last one. Otherwise he'd have to do some damage control and _no one_ would like the consequences of that.

* * *

Saitama stared blankly at the man across the table. They chose to meet at a restaurant in Z-City for the bald man's comfort. Mamoru leaned back in his chair. He threaded his fingers together and glared over at the younger male.

"It seems that we're at a bit of a crossroads," The dark-haired man began. His eyes narrowed at Saitama's lack of reaction. "It's come to my understanding that you've secured yourself full custodial rights over Kagome." He withdrew a folder, slapping it onto the table loudly. The Hero's gaze was drawn to the documents but he chose not to say anything. Not like there was anything this bastard could pull up that'd scare him anyways. "I have no intention of starting a custody battle with you Saitama-san, however I cannot allow her to keep living under your roof. Especially since you are not related to her by blood or marriage."

The bald man's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, "You just said that you didn't want to go to court. Are you now contradicting yourself?"

Mamoru didn't rise to the bait, "Not at all. What happens from here will be entirely up to your discretion." The Higurashi Head remained visibly impassive but inwardly he was seething. Bastard was trying to pick a fight. Well two could play that game. He opened up the folder to reveal a pristine document. It was several pages long with multiple sections highlighted and X-dotted lines for Saitama to sign. "I'm giving you a chance to sign over your rights without a court getting involved. That girl living with you is highly inappropriate at best. Especially since she's still under-aged."

The bald man's back stiffened. So that's what this was about. His expression turned serious as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not doing it." He pushed the papers back towards Mamoru.

"What?"

"I'm not signing jack shit." Dark eyes narrowed at the male, "Besides you're forgetting one major thing." A cocky smirk spread across the Hero's lips, "She's eighteen. She doesn't need _your_ permission to live where she wants."

"You're wrong! That girl is sixteen! She'll be seventeen in three months time!" The other man roared across the table. Saitama lifted a finger and scratched the inside of his ear. Did he have to be so loud?

"Wrong again, Mamoru. That's Souta's thirteenth birthday. Try again." He flicked a bit of earwax towards the raging idiot. It landed on the tip of his nose, causing a flare of disgust to erupt from him.

"You vile cretin! I'll sue you for everything you've got!" Mamoru slammed his fists onto the table, making it shutter beneath the weight.

Saitama allowed himself to laugh, "You do that. In the mean time I've got my own lawyer on speed dial. Do you think we should go ahead and give him a call? I'm sure he'd just be _ecstatic_ to hear that you're trying to kidnap your own stepdaughter and force her to live with you." The bald man's face darkened, "Are you aware that you could spend years in jail for such a crime? Keep it up and I'll have you tossed in jail for harassment and attempted kidnapping."

The Hero stood and threw a few bills at Mamoru, "That's for the meal. Thanks for the talk today. It was very _enlightening_." His cape fluttered behind him as he turned on the ball of his foot and marched out of the restaurant. The dark-haired man's curses followed him out. The smirk on his face reappeared. Ah, that went quite well if he did say so himself!

* * *

Genos had found his attention being utterly hogged by Souta. The boy had managed to rope him into several gaming competitions, all of which he lost to. Then when he tried to go back to his girlfriend's side, the kid would then challenge him to another competition. If he didn't know any better he'd think Souta was trying to give both Kagome and her mother some time together. The cyborg fought the urge to sigh.

Souta wasn't blind to see that his new idol was actively trying to massacre his ass for trying to keep him away from Kagome. Guilt purged him, and Souta threw a quick look behind him to see if the ladies were lingering nearby. He caught glimpse of his sister's hair trailing back into the kitchen. The sounds of their chatter and light laughter filled the air. Good, they were distracted. Feeling a bit brave he paused the game, "Hey, Genos-nii?"

"Hm?" was the non-committed response. Okay, he guessed he deserved that.

Souta rolled his shoulders, "It's not that I'm trying to keep you away from nee-chan, it's that mom needs her right now. She hasn't been happy in years until sis came back..."

Genos frowned and he gave him a look, "You could've just told me that. I wouldn't put in so much effort trying to kick your ass."

Souta gave a big grin, his idolizing of Genos only grew larger.

"Oh I know, but it's more fun when you try so hard and still suck miserably!"

"You're on kid!" The blond threatened. The boys growled and yelled at the screen for over half an hour. Unlike before he pulled out all the stops. The teen blasted through his opponent's army before slicing the other player's character in half with a single, powerful stroke of his blade.

"You cheat!" Souta yelled, throwing an accusatory look his way. "You purposely put all your weak guys in the front like that! You wanted me to waste all my attacks and magic power!" The boy growled furiously, shaking a finger at him. "You're such a cheat! I'm telling sis on you!"

The cyborg smirked, "All's fair in war. You need a better strategy to defeat me." With that he placed the controller down and walked into the kitchen. The teen ignored the irate calls of Kagome's brother. Instead he leaned his broad shoulders against the wooden frame of the kitchen doorway. His golden eyes watched as the two women interacted peacefully. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that it was as if they'd never been separated in the first place.

His girl laughed as her mother playfully dotted a piece of dough on her nose. The blond let himself smile at the scene. Was this what their home was like without that bastard hanging around? It seemed so… happy. Souta tugged on his pant leg. He gave him a pleading look before dragging him back out to living room. Genos willingly left. He'd trust her mother for now, but he'd watch the situation closely. It was clear the woman was having trouble choosing between her daughter and her husband. Although the reason why still plagued his mind. It just didn't seem natural to him that a mother would let someone treat their child in such a way. One day, he'd have a serious talk with her about it. At the very least Kagome deserved to hear the reason why she kept failing. However today was not that day. Today was a day for bonding.

Kagome turned to see her boyfriend quietly follow her brother back out into the living room. Her heart softened at the sight. So he'd come to check in with her. That was so like him. She smiled as a light blush spread across her face. This was only the second day of dating but Genos was already blooming into a very kind gentlemen towards her. Her smile widened at the thought. She was glad Kikyou convinced her to make that move. She was happier now than she had been in many years.

"Do you love him?" Izumi inquired softly, brushing a strand of hair from her daughter's face affectionately. Kagome's back stiffened as her face darkened.

"I don't think it's gotten to that part yet," She stuttered as she continued to cut away at the excess skin of the vegetables, "We only just started dating yesterday."

Her mother gave her a surprised look, "Oh really? I could've sworn that you two were together the last time you were here." She winked at her daughter, "He certainly seemed attached to you."

Kagome didn't deny that. They were definitely very attached to one another considering how 'new' they were to the whole relationship thing. But there was something about Genos that seemed to shine bright. Unlike her relationship with Inuyasha, she never felt uncomfortable or pushed. Hell she never kissed Inuyasha the way she did Genos the other day. That spoke volumes of her trust in him.

"Hey mom," The girl started timidly. The older woman smiled kindly at her child. "Was it like this with you and Mamoru?" She sucked in a breath, "Do you love him?" The girl hadn't realized her mistake until after she had made it.

"You dropped the honorific?" A pair of black brows shot upwards. Then her expression dropped into an emotionless mask, "He wouldn't be… happy with that." A tense silence filled the air. However Kagome felt that she needed to know. There was something that had been bothering her this whole time. She didn't think she'd be able to continue maintaining a relationship with her mother or stepfather for that matter until she got them.

"That's not what this is about. You're avoiding my question." The teen pressed, not letting her mother escape without providing the answers she so desperately needed. "Do you love him? Is he worth everything?"

Izumi didn't answer. She couldn't. Her hand stilled as she stared at her daughter with wide eyes and an open mouth. She wanted to tell her that she did love Mamoru. That everything was just fine between them but she knew she couldn't. The older woman looked away and stiffened her shoulders.

"I don't think that's something you really need to know about." Came the slowly drawn out reply.

A spark of fury lit behind Kagome's eyes. "Of course I deserve to know!" She practically screamed, "He's the reason why I left that day! He's the reason we were separated!" The teen put the knife down as she confronted her mother, "I was with aniki for three years! I didn't have a damn clue whether any of you were alive or dead! How do you think it made me feel knowing that the last memory I had of my family was that they hated my guts enough to toss me out while a monster was attacking the city!"

Izumi whirled on her daughter, "You were not thrown out!" She shouted, ignoring the pounding of her heart. They hadn't, had they? Her memories were fuzzy.

Kagome pointed at her, "Yes you did! How could you possibly forget?" The tension grew thick in the air.

* * *

Genos' foot bounced as he cocked his head back towards the kitchen. He could hear them talking in hushed whispers but what they were saying was coming in garbled. A blond brow twitched. He really wanted to go back over there to see what was happening.

Souta tugged on his shirt. He shot the kid a curious glance.

"Wanna play some soccer with me?"

The real answer was no but his mouth moved before his brain, "Sure."

The cyborg followed the child outside where he dropped his black and white ball onto the shrine's tiled ground.

"It's a little too easy to kick around here." Souta commented as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, "But it'd have to do for now."

The two passed the ball between each other for several minutes. Many of which Genos often corrected Souta on his body posture. Much like the way he trained Kagome the other night, he displayed the proper body stance in order to guard better.

"There you go." The blond commended as his girlfriend's brother followed his advice, "Now keep those arms tucked in." The boy did as he was told.

A buzzing caused the cyborg to stop and withdraw his phone from his pocket. A familiar name popped up on the screen.

"Ah, give me a moment. I need to take this." The teen stated to the younger male. Souta shrugged then proceeded to try to balance his soccer on his head. It'd been a long time since someone had treated him like that. It was nice.

The blond moved back inside the house and swiftly answered the phone.

"Hello Genos." it was the doctor and he sounded pleased, "The watch is ready. Come by to pick it up...where are you at now?"

He shifted the phone to another ear when he detected his new girlfriend's tone changing to something he didn't like, "Oh? That's good to hear, and I am at J city at Kagome's family home, Doctor."

"Bring her by! I'm eager to meet the girl who captured my boy's heart." Kuseno chortled, "I need to check the wrist measurement anyhow, so it would be appreciated if you can bring her with you for the pick up."

"Certainly," Genos smiled, before dropping it when he heard the voices hiking, "Sorry, I have to hang up now."

"Ah, alright, see you soon." He could hear the doctor's frowning, realizing there was a situation brewing.

Genos clicked the phone closed, choosing to interfere before there would be a meltdown between the mother and her daughter.

He only caught the last snippet of their conversation about her mother's forgetful habits but it was more than enough to fuel the fires of his rage.

"What?" Came a deep voice from the threshold of the kitchen living room. Genos stood stock-still. His face was contorted in controlled anger. Kagome turned and watched as his fingers tightly curled and uncurled into fists.

The two women quieted but the cyborg took note of his girlfriend's stiffened shoulders. She wasn't going to back out of this fight. There was silence as both females waited for him to continue.

"You're her mother, correct?" The blond interrogated. His golden eyes were sharp as they pinned the Higurashi Matriarch with a glare.

Izumi took a deep breath, "Yes."

"Then start acting like it." He reprimanded harshly, "As a parent your memories of when you lost your child should always be at the forefront." He was being hypocritical. He knew that. But ever since the day his home was destroyed, the memories of his parents' deaths still haunted him. How a parent could forget such a serious incident was beyond his comprehension. "You have a chance to start fresh. Do you really want to lose your daughter a second time?" The cyborg had enough. How blind could these people really be? He'd only been around Saitama-sensei and his ward for a short time, but even so he could tell that there was something very special about her. It was in the way she treated him as if he were still human. It was how she showered her aniki with so much respect and adoration. It was the very smile she graced them with each day. How could these people not cherish that? They thought her dead once. So why were they still acting so deplorably? What could possibly be so important as to cause her this pain? His eyes darkened. He wouldn't allow it. Not now, not ever.

It was then that Izumi snapped, "What do you know of our family!?" She threw her arms out and pointed at him, "You weren't there! You have no idea!" The older woman cradled her face in her hands, "You don't know how hard it was! Everyday I had to go through life thinking that I'd sent my daughter to her death!" Tears poured down the mother's face. "Do you think that I don't realize that by now? I know I failed!" Izumi's pitch rose another notch, "I'm a failure! I failed so much in my life that I can't even count them all!"

She set her sights on her daughter, "You were always my biggest failure!" The dark-haired girl's form went ramrod straight. The teen was unsure of what she meant. Though she really didn't like the look in her mother's eyes at that moment. "It was always because of you!" Izumi didn't stop herself anymore. These were her feelings. It'd be unfair to keep them hidden away any longer. "I failed because I couldn't raise you. I failed because I couldn't take care of you. I failed because I sent you to your doom." The woman's voice grew eerily quiet, "You were always the reason why Mamoru hated me."

Kagome spoke up first, "What good is a man if he doesn't support your family?" Her cobalt eyes hardened on her mother, "It shouldn't matter whether I was a product of your first marriage or not. You chose that man to warm your bed. Now you're suffering the consequences of picking the wrong mate." The teen turned and grabbed her cyborg's arm, "I love you mother but I won't stand by and allow myself to be abused anymore. Take care of yourself. You may contact me after you've cut him out."

Genos wrapped a comforting arm around Kagome's shoulders. He pulled her flush against his side as a wave of angry protectiveness shot through him. Had it been Mamoru who said such things to her then he'd have kicked his ass. However he wouldn't lay his hands on a woman—even if she was being foolish. The two stopped outside as Souta continued to practice with his soccer. He stopped once he took note of the teenagers' expressions. The boy's face paled. The ball that he'd been kicking around rolled uselessly across the shrine. It only stopped once it bumped the root of the oversized Goshinboku tree.

"Nee-chan! What happened?" Souta asked frantically. He quickly threw his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her stomach. Kagome ruffled his hair.

"It's nothing for you to worry about kiddo." She kissed the crown of his hair affectionately, "Text me when you want to meet up for that game, okay?" His arms tightened around her.

"You got into a fight didn't you?" The boy's eyes were pleading. He didn't want her to go. Not this soon. Had it been a mistake in not letting Genos tag around them? Was this really his fault after all?

The girl laughed and winked at him though her eyes didn't show any glimmer of happiness, "It's just grown up stuff." She dropped her voice to a whisper, "It'd be very boring and you'd have to hear all about the things that Genos and I have already done."

The blond gave her a look. Though she couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or unimpressed. Oh well, they'd deal with that later.

"I want to know." Souta tried to hold back his tears. "If it means that you'll stay, then I want to know. No matter how boring or gross." It was then that Kagome had to hold back tears of her own.

"I'll tell you next time kid." She brushed his hair out of his face. "In the mean time I want you to watch out for mom, okay? She's going to be very sad for a while."

Souta shook his head as he buried his face into her stomach, "I don't want to!" His hands clutched at her shirt, "I just want to spend time with you!" The link that bonded them increased the pain he was experiencing. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before. The moment that Genos walked back inside he could feel the pressure of it rain down on him like a heavy storm. Right now, he felt like he was being crushed beneath the weight of an entire building. It was excruciating and it wasn't his emotions that he was sensing. It was Kagome's.

Genos stepped in by placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "We need to get going." Souta stiffened beneath his hand but the blond crouched to stare at him eye-to-eye. "I need you to promise me something." Souta stared and waited for him to continue, "Will you promise me that you'll help look after Kagome when she comes back?" His eyes shot open. "I can't leave until you make that promise."

The boy nodded his head vigorously, "Of course! You can count on me!"

Genos gave the child a small smile, "Good. Next time we see each other I'll teach you some martial arts as well."

The boy's face lit up just a tiny bit, "Really?"

"Really."

Souta slowly dropped his arms from his sister's waist. She kissed his forehead before vowing that she'd return in a few days to attend the game with him. He nodded his head and wiped his tears. She wasn't leaving for good. She'd be coming back. His heart's rapid beating slowed as he came to that realization. Even if Kagome wanted nothing to do with their parents, she would never stop visiting him because of them. A warmth spread across his chest and he smiled. The boy watched as his sibling left with her boyfriend. Only afterwards did he hear the wailing coming from his mother.

The happiness he felt moments before dropped. In its place a violent wrath grew. He pulled open his phone and swiftly dialed the number.

"Oi, Saitama-san. Yeah I think you need to hear about what happened today." His voice deepened with rage. "That's exactly right. Think you can spare a minute to drop by? I won't be staying here much longer."

A few hours passed before two sets of car lights pulled up into the driveway. Souta had refused to go inside, leaving his mother to cry to herself the entire time. He glared as his biological father got out of his vehicle and slammed his door shut. The man cast him a withering glance. Without so much as a word he stormed inside. Something smashed as his mother's wails intensified. Fuck it all.

From the other car two people got out calmly. The first was a tall, silver haired male. His golden eyes narrowed at the path Mamoru took. From the opposite side a white-haired female slowly climbed out. She sighed offering the male her thanks as he ushered her towards the door. The pair stopped as they caught sight of Souta. The woman was first to approach him.

"Do you remember me?" She queried, her dark eyes looking over his still form with concern. The male beside her did something very similar, but there was an edge of fierceness to it.

"Kanna-san? You're dad's lawyer." He stated simply. He'd seen her around a few times but she never really stayed for too long. He got the feeling that she didn't really like working for his dad too much.

Kanna sighed in relief, "Well that's good. Perhaps you should get inside where it's warm? A cold front is going to come through soon." She offered him her hand. He took it without question. "There we go. Are you up for telling me what happened?"

Souta took a breath, "Mom and sis got into a fight. I don't think nee-chan is going to come back anymore. At least not here." Cobalt eyes became glued to the ground. He didn't care anymore. He just felt dead inside without his sister near. Through their link he could feel the pain that she was in. It hurt. His free hand came to his chest and clutched at the cloth there. "Say," He started, "Is love supposed to hurt?" Tears filled his eyes as he looked up at the woman's shocked face.

"Why do you ask that?" Kanna pushed for more answers. She brushed his hair out of his face but to no avail.

"Because no matter what Kagome does they always hate her." He allowed himself to cry, because he knew that his sister wasn't going to. He'd never seen her cry once. "She tries so hard. But they only hurt her. Is that normal? Are parents supposed to do that?"

"No." The male spoke, "It's not normal." He turned his golden gaze onto him, "When you look at your family don't view it through the lens of normality. Use your experiences now to learn what you know in your heart is wrong. You're a very smart young man Souta. If you feel that something isn't right, then feel free to give me a call." The man handed him a business card. The name 'Sesshoumaru' reflected even in the darkness of the night.

"Who're you?" The dark-haired child questioned.

The man flashed him a smirk, "I was sent here by Saitama. No need to worry."

Souta nodded. His heart lightened. Now he knew why Kagome relied on him so much. He was always there for them when they needed him. His free hand wiped his tears on the back of his sleeve. Kanna gave him a sad smile as she held his hand. This boy was in so much pain. If she could help it, she'd make sure that it wouldn't stay that way for long.

The trio walked into the home together. A long conversation was to be had.

* * *

Genos glanced over at his sleeping girlfriend. The train ride to Doctor Kuseno's wasn't a long one but the events of the day had wiped her out completely. Kagome rested her head on his shoulder as she breathed heavily into his neck. He was a bit surprised that she didn't cry. Much of the time she'd been awake she was furious. She ranted and raved until she just couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. The teen felt a wave of rage pulsate through his metallic body. Whether she intended to or not, Kagome had told him much about her time with her family before living Saitama.

She spoke little of her biological father other than the fact that he died. However she spoke a great deal about Mamoru. She said that he was the one who insisted that she call him "Mamoru-san". When she was eight, she told him that he had punished her by sending her outside in the middle of the summer heat and refused to let her have any water until she ran three laps around the block. She stated that he did this because she had called him 'tou-san'. Kagome managed to escape the hell of that punishment by retreating to his sensei's home. He was but a teenager then but he quickly took her in and shielded her from the blazing heat.

For as much as Mamoru had done to her, she often went back to her mother. She spoke with such rage that he didn't expect it from her. She had mentioned to him all the times that her mother had intervened in their arguments only to side with her stepfather. While Kagome was aware that her mother was married to him now, she also felt as if the woman who birthed her was starting to abandon her completely. Simple things such as unfinished tasks and homework blew up into massive fights. The only way Kagome even escaped the chaos was by going to Saitama's on a nearly daily basis. That was, of course, if she hadn't already been thrown out by the explosive pair already. Being kicked out was just part of a daily routine for them.

His girlfriend's face had softened earlier at the thought of Saitama-sensei and his family. Unlike her parents, Saitama's folks had accepted her with open arms. There was even an incident where his mother had shipped Kagome an entire closet of clothes for her. Although that too turned into a fiasco as Mamoru demanded to know where such 'trashy' items came from. The man eventually relented as Saitama had pulled him aside and threatened to call protection services if he did not allow the girl to keep the clothes.

To be quite honest, Genos didn't know how she made it through with a smile still on her face. His golden eyes softened as her hand clutched the fabric of his stomach. No matter what happened from this point forward, he'd protect her. That was his job now after all. He pressed a soft kiss to her brow. Her eyes slowly fluttered awake.

"How close are we?" She yawned into her hand. He wrapped his arm around her.

"This is our stop." The two disembarked and traveled a short distance to a rather shabby looking building. It was covered in spray paint and the roof looked like it was about to collapse in on itself. Kagome shot him an incredulous stare. He held out his hand for her. "It'll be fine."

The dark-haired girl stared in awe as Genos lifted a trap door to reveal a brightly lit set of stairs. She followed him down, her hands clinging to his back. The cyborg moved slowly as it was clear that she was quite fearful. The pair stopped as they reached the end of the stairs. A labyrinth of pipes and metal tubes clotted the high ceiling. Cobalt eyes turned in every which direction, taking in the sight of multiple robots scurrying around and screens flashing random messages of odd codes.

"Is this the doctor's place that you mentioned?" She queried, gulping down a shriek as a bot brushed past her legs in its hurry.

Genos nodded, "Yes, this is Doctor Kuseno's lab. This is where I go when I need to get repairs done, a new upgrade or some monthly maintenance." He cocked his head to stare at her fully. Her hands were still clinging to him. "You don't have anything to fear here." She melted at how soft and kind his voice was.

"I know it's just that I'm not exactly used to this." The teen gestured to the bots traipsing around. One in particular flipped in the air as an image of a pair of hands clapping decorated its screen. He gave it a mild glare. It would be just like the doctor to install a 'personality' into all his 'babies'.

"Ah Genos! Glad you could make it!" A voice boomed. "Oh, and you did bring her!" A male approached from a room over. His hair circled his head like a gray umbrella and his nose was unusually long. Kagome offered the man a polite bow.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Kuseno-san. Genos has told me much about you." She gave him a forced smile. She wanted to give him a more sincere one, but the day's events had knocked that one right out of her. "I'm Kagome." She introduced herself.

The older man nodded his head as he rubbed his chin. "Ah yes, so you're the young lady that he speaks so fondly of." The blond suddenly found the wall behind them much more interesting. She laughed, looping her arm through her boyfriend's.

"Well I would hope so! It wouldn't do for a boyfriend to speak ill of his girl." She winked at the doctor, catching his drift. The cyborg's back stiffened. Were they teaming up against him?

"Doctor," Genos interrupted the charade before they could really get going on it, "Don't you think you should go ahead and give it to her?" The blond gave his paternal figure a sharp stare—it almost seemed pleading to the gray-haired male.

"Yes, we'll get to that soon my boy." He offered a chair for the two to sit, "But first, I'd like to learn more about this young lady who's captured your attention."

It was Kagome's turn to flush. They spent much of the evening speaking of their general interests. When the clock tolled ten, the doctor stood and withdrew a small box from his pocket.

"Take it child. You should find it of some use."

The teen opened it up to reveal a sleek watch inside. It was slender and black. The face shined brightly beneath the florescent lighting of the lab.

"Please don't take me as rude as I really appreciate this, but what does it do?" She glanced between cyborg and doctor, "I doubt that it's just a normal watch if it's coming from you Kuseno-san." In fact the metal felt incredibly heavy! She placed it on her wrist and watched as a few of the links dangled limply. It was still a tad too big. Doctor Kuseno gentle took it back from her to point at a couple of the buttons on the side.

"This one," He indicated the one nearest to the top, "Is just a normal light. It'll cause the screen to light up if you need to see it when in the dark." He then moved to point towards the near the far bottom, "This is just your basic switch to compass. You can hit it at any time to go between the time and directional mode." The man's face grew serious. "This one here," He pointed to a much larger one near the center, "Is for emergency situations."

The girl leaned forward. He pressed the button. A high-pitched squeal resounded from the object and Genos' eyes suddenly lit up a bright gold. "Inside of this watch is a GPS. If you're ever in a situation where you need help, hit this button. It'll activate the GPS and send the coordinates to Genos directly. That way even if you're separated, he'll be able to find you."

The man threw a smirk at his masterpiece, "With the speed boost I installed last time, there should be no reason why he'd take more than a few minutes to reach you." His age-withered hands deftly removed a few of the unnecessary links. He motioned for her to give him her arm. The watch was placed over her wrist again and snapped into place. This time it fit perfectly.

"You didn't have to do this." Her eyes darted between the two of them. How long had they been working on it? How much did it cost to make? She felt bad about taking such a expensive item from them for free.

"Of course we did." The older man smile down at the girl, "You're precious to my boy. All that I ask in return is that you take care of him." He dropped his voice and whispered playfully to her, "He's a bit reckless and always seems to come back in pieces. Maybe having a girlfriend would cool his head a bit?" She couldn't help but laugh. Genos crossed his arms as his brow twitched again. If Kagome didn't know any better, she'd say that he was sulking.

The doctor leaned over and grabbed a heavy, leather bound book.

"Say Kagome-chan, would you like to see pictures of Genos when he first came here?" The man pushed the photo album towards her. "These are my most valuable treasures." She smiled at him.

"Sure, why not?"

It was then that Genos stood abruptly, "Sorry Doctor Kuseno, but I promised Saitama-sensei that I'd have Kagome back before midnight. We ought to leave if we are to make that curfew." His hand gently reached over and pulled her against him. "I apologize for having to rush away so soon. We'll return again sometime." He offered his paternal figure an apologetic bow.

"Oh really? That's fine, I'll just show them to her the next time she comes."

Kagome swore she felt her boyfriend shiver. His arm wrapped around her tightly as he lead them back up the stairs, offering the doctor a final goodbye.

"What was that about?" She questioned.

His face turned serious, "There are some things better left unseen."

The teen didn't ask him any more on the subject. She didn't think it'd be a sore topic with him, however his face did seem a touch paler than usual. His eyes were dim in comparison and there something in the way that his jaw clenched that told her that he was more than a bit nervous. She leaned her head against his chest. She'd wait until he was ready. Then they'd broach the subject again. But for now, she was happy just to be here in his arms. As they made their way back home all thoughts of her mother, their fight and even Mamoru's treatment of her fell to the way side. For the first time in many years, Kagome learned what contentment felt like. Genos pressed his lips against hers and the world around them disappeared.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

_Pairing: Genos/Kagome_

_**Kazoku** _

**Chapter Twelve** :

Saitama took a deep breath. He'd just gotten off the phone with his lawyer. The meeting with Izumi and Mamoru had not gone well. The bald man pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be extremely difficult. His dark eyes shifted to stare at small box peering out from under the couch. By request of Sesshoumaru Saitama now had to pull it out and deliver to his office first thing in the morning. Though he doubted that the man would wait that long. He'd certainly try calling again in a few minutes to verify that they were still in his possession. The young man's heart dropped, he had tried very hard not to use it. However this next fight was going to require it. His shoulders slumped as he leaned against the wall. Thankfully Kagome and Genos had yet to return. They had messaged him earlier to inform him that they'd be dropping by his doctor's place for a short visit. If he was lucky, they'd be gone for another hour. Straightening his back, Saitama approached the couch. He kneeled down and pulled the box out from its hiding place. It was just a simple cardboard container with its flaps folded over the tops of each other to keep its contents sealed safely inside.

He slipped his index finger under the crease of the flap and tugged on it. The seal sprung loose. The man's heart ached as he glanced down into the package. Nearly all of them were pictures. Most of which were images of physical scars on Kagome's body. One photo in particular had always torn his heart into two. It was of Kagome as well. She'd been twelve at the time and had complained constantly of being hungry. While she'd always been on the skinny side, Saitama had never known just how bad it was until she had come over to go swimming. The picture captured the moment as she was attempting to climb into the pool. Her limbs had been extremely frail—practically nothing more than skin on bone. But that wasn't the most shocking part of it all. His eyes were drawn to the girl's ribs and he fought against the emotions that swirled within. They had become visible.

At that point in time, her stepfather had taken to sending her to her room without food for any supposed 'infraction' against him. Those transgressions were so frequent that the only way she ate was by sneaking over to his home or stealing food from her own pantry. That day at the pool, Saitama had marched back to her home and confronted Mamoru. By the end of it all, he'd broken the man's nose with a hard right hook. He wound up in jail for the night but it had been well worth it. Though his only regret now was that he didn't break his jaw instead. Perhaps that would've silenced the bastard's foul mouth somewhat.

The rest of the pictures that had been taken exposed the condition of the home that Kagome had been living in at the time. Her room was but a mere shell of what it should have been. A mattress had been laid out on the floor and a single dresser left sitting under her window for all of her 'needs'. There hadn't been a single, personal item of hers in that photo. More than anything, it shed light on the vastly different lives she and her brother had been living from one another. Where one sibling was neglected to the point of malnutrition, the other had been showered in overbearing affection with unrealistic goals placed upon him. Now that Kagome was out of the house, he feared for Souta's mental and emotional wellbeing. It would only be a matter of time before they turned their aggression onto him.

With trembling hands he quickly folded the box's flaps over one another again. Sesshoumaru had specifically requested these photos be handed over to him. It would be their trump card in getting Souta away from those bastards. Saitama's phone rang—pulling him out of his trance. He flipped it open and quickly answered it.

"Did you find them?" Came Sesshoumaru's voice from the other end.

The bald man sighed, "Of course I did. I told you I'd been hanging onto them for safekeeping."

"Good. Now we'll make our move in the morning. I need to draw up a few more documents." There was a shuffling of papers, "Kanna isn't in much of a position to fight against us. You've got more than enough evidence to throw Mamoru in jail if you so wanted to." He heard the other man give off a small, cocky laugh, "The man better kiss his ass goodbye because when we're through with him he'd be lucky if he still has his freedom."

That caused a small smirk to spread across the Hero's lips, "That good of a chance?"

The silver-haired man responded, "Better than most. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to prep for yet another custody battle. Ready yourself Saitama, this is going to be one hell of a fight. It's not everyday that a judge will grant a virtual stranger full guardianship of a boy whose parents are still around."

That thought made a cold chill go through his body, "Yeah I know, but we're both aware that they're toxic. Kid's going to need therapy after this." He wasn't kidding either. Souta was already developing a few bad habits—skipping school being one of the major ones. Poor child was rebelling because he wasn't fitting in the way that he was 'supposed to' at home. So now he just stopped giving two shits and was doing whatever the hell he wanted. Saitama sighed; he was going to have to stage an intervention with him soon to stop the behavior. But first, he needed to get the kid away from his parents.

"Take him out sometime." Sesshoumaru mentioned, "Be that male role model he needs right now."

Saitama stilled. That was a good idea actually, but would he be able to do it in the midst of this legal bullshit? He doubted that Izumi and Mamoru would be willing to let him take the boy out for a day. The bald man shrugged. He'd find away somehow. Right now he had other things to take care of.

"Thanks Sesshoumaru. I'll bring everything by in the morning," The Hero watched as a familiar pair rounded up the staircase. Genos was the first to be seen. He had his arm wrapped securely around Kagome and their faces were strained from the stress of the day. "I'll talk to you later." He quickly hung up on his lawyer.

"What happened?" Saitama inquired, noticing the way his ward leaned into her boyfriend.

Genos' arm tightened around her, "She got into a fight with her mother."

The older man's expression hardened. Somehow that didn't surprise him. "Over what exactly?" This part wasn't just for curiosity's sake. He needed to know so he could record it for Sesshoumaru—that man was a fucking shark when it came to the details.

Kagome's face fell somewhat, "Can we talk about it later? I'm tired." Her voice was soft but strained. Going to the doctor's had distracted her for a short time but the feelings of anger and self-deprecation still remained deeply seated. All she wanted to do right now was curl up on her futon and go to sleep.

Saitama pitched in between his brows, "Alright, but you will tell me tomorrow morning." That wasn't an order they could ignore.

"Yes sir." They repeated in unison.

Saitama huffed and swept his hand at them to the room, "Shoo, go to bed! I need to make a phone call." He pulled the phone from his pocket, seeing the couple drifting off. Even Genos looked drained, which was telling of just how serious the incident between mother and child had been. He watched as the couple settled onto the couch. Genos took up the spot in the corner and opened his arms for Kagome. She swiftly laid across the cushions and rested her head on his chest with her palms pressing against the cloth over his breastplate. Their eyes slowly slid shut as the bald man wandered outside.

Figuring that his disciple would at least conjure up some energy to fetch a blanket for them, Saitama moved down the hallway where neither of the teenagers could hear him should he become angry. Dialing a series of number he was familiar with, he pressed the device upon his ear and listened to the ringing tone, waiting for someone to pick up.

It beeped and a voice came on, "Little Grass reporting!"

Saitama slapped his forehead, "Are you still in that group, mom?! Doesn't dressing up as an old hag get boring every now and then?"

"Oh, Saitama! How are you, son?" The voice at the other end laughed. "And as for your other question, no! It does not! Especially when I get the chance to stalk my little grandbaby all over the place!" She seemed just a little too ecstatic over that one.

"Ugh," he rolled his eyes, "Is the old man with you? I need to talk to the both of you."

"Oh," His mother's voice dropped into that of a serious tone, knowing the topic Saitama wanted to discuss was something not to be taken lightly, "Mouko dear! Hold on son, let me put this phone on speaker."

The Hero waited until he heard his father's tell tale grumbling on the other line.

"What happened?" Always as straightforward as ever.

"I'm going to sue for full custody of Souta. Court will begin at the start of next week." He leaned his shoulders against the cool brick of the dilapidated building. It was a miracle the place was even still standing considering everything that had gone on.

A mild roar erupted from his eccentric mother.

"Why that's wonderful news! When do I get to shop for his clothes too?" There was a pause followed by items being shuffled about, "Oh he loves sports doesn't he? What does he like to play? I need to get him some gear!" She rambled off and listed all the things that she wanted to do with her new 'grandbaby'. Saitama sighed. Of course she'd be ecstatic. He knew that as long as children were involved, his mother would be _overly_ excited.

His father coughed on the other line, "What made you decide this, son?" The bald man paused. Why? The answer was simple: Because he had to. There was no one else that was capable of taking care of those kids. Their own parents were miserable failures and he was the only one who cared enough to see to it that they were raised properly. Maybe in some way he was trying to get back some of those years he missed out on with Kagome. However that was only just a small part of it. This time, he only wanted to make sure that, that boy didn't have to suffer like his sister did. He was a Hero after all. Wasn't that his job?

"You already know." Came the man's cool response. He could hear his father humming in satisfaction.

"I understand, we'll support you in the courtroom and however else you need us to." There was a wink of mischief that entered his voice at the end, "Though I do have to ask, have you found yourself a woman yet? Kagome-chan and now Souta-chan are going to need a mother figure soon and you're not getting any younger…." Saitama quickly said his goodbyes and hung up. He loved his parents to death, but sometimes they were just a bit… _quirky_. His mother in particular loved dressing up as an old woman and followed the B.A.O.P. Squad around just so she could keep an eye on her 'little grandbaby' AKA Kagome. At the very least she reported back to him every time something suspicious had gone on. Still it was quite bothersome. While his father indulged in his mother's eccentric behavior, he too, seemed to have some odd obsessions of his own. Making sure his son got married as quickly as possible was one of them. So he'd taken to avoiding his parents except on special occasions to spare his own sanity.

Saitama made his way back inside. The sight that greeted him both softened his heart and caused his irritation to rise. Kagome and Genos were still cuddled up on the couch. By now his charge had pressed her face completely in the crook of his neck and was breathing heavily over the false skin there. The blond's arms were locked around her waist as he held one leg propped up on the couch to keep the rest of her body from falling off of him. His eyes were closed and it was clear that he too had fallen asleep. The both of them had been much too tired to so much as grab a blanket to cover themselves. The bald man grabbed a spare futon and threw it over the slumbering teenagers. He'd let this one slide. Only because he knew just how trying this day had been for them. They'd need each other's support right now. Though the coming months would be the most trying once the court got started. He sighed again. Well tomorrow's problems could wait until then. For now, he needed to get to bed as well.

With that the Hero climbed into his futon and shut out all thoughts except for what to eat in the morning. His stomach rumbled in response. Perhaps he could ask Kagome to make some of her infamous oden? That stuff was like crack! With that last thought, he slowly slipped off into the sweet embrace of sleep.

* * *

Kagome woke up in layers. She slowly opened up her eyes and glanced around. Where were they? It took a few seconds for her to realize that she was still in her boyfriend's arms. A deep blush spread across her face as she shot up. The young woman looked down to see that her hands were still bracing themselves against his chest. The blanket that had covered them slipped down to her waist, now only covering their legs and feet. Genos stirred beneath her.

"You sleep well?" He inquired, though there was an edge of exhaustion to his tone.

She nodded though the blush had yet to recede, "Yeah, thanks." It was then that she noticed that she was straddling his lap. Her face darkened as he realized this at the same time. Instead of letting her off of him, his arms went around her and held her to him tighter. The blond sat up and pulled his girlfriend to him. He glanced around and took note that Saitama had already gone for the day. Had his sensei remained it'd be likely that he'd been pitching a fit at them by now. With that settled he turned his attention back to the dark-haired girl in his arms.

They didn't say anything but both could feel the intense pull sparking between them. She leaned down as he brought his mouth to hers. It was slow yet sensual. The embrace that held her tightened possessively. She traced her hands over his chest and marveled at the steel there. It felt so strange yet so natural at the same time. Kagome pushed forward, forcing him to lie further on his back. Genos reluctantly pulled back from their kiss and followed her lead. The dark-haired woman watched as his golden eyes lit up. Ah so they worked like mood rings, did they? She'd have to try a few other things as well.

He traced his hands up and down her back, satisfied at the chill of goosebumps the action caused in her. The cyborg brought his mouth to hers again. He placed one of his hands behind her head and gently coaxed her to come back down to him. She did so and braced her hands against his chest again. Their movements remained slow yet purposeful. Unlike before there was no edge of desperation. Instead all that was left was the slow burn of desire and curiosity for one another. Genos bit back a growl of pleasure as she lightly dragged her fingertips down the fabric covering his stomach. A proud smirk spread across her lips as she noticed him writhing beneath her touch. She did that. Not anyone else but her.

Genos quickly saw what she was thinking and decided to get a little payback of his own. He wrapped an arm around her waist fluidly and flipped them over so she'd be underneath him. He casually tossed a few of the back support pillows aside to allow for more space on the couch. Kagome flushed even more as he straddled her.

"My turn." He whispered heatedly. With that he curled his fingers under the seam of his shirt and pulled it from his body. The piece of cloth was much too restrictive at this point. Besides, he needed her to see him as he was. He needed her to accept him. His breath hitched as his girlfriend's eyes widened. Was she really okay with this? Was she repulsed by the inhuman gears turning where his stomach should have been? Was she… disgusted by his body? Genos was filled with anticipation.

Kagome stared on in awe. He was so different from anything she'd ever seen. She trailed her hand from his breastplate down to the seam of his pants. He bit his lip and fought to keep himself in control. The blond watched as her hands moved over every inch of his naked torso. Whether she realized it or not, she was slowly torturing him. The electrifying shocks returned a thousand fold, only this time they accompanied with images that filled his mind. Images that did not include clothes. A long forgotten instinct arose within Genos. It was in that moment that he was grateful that the doctor did as many 'useless upgrades' as he did. Otherwise this might not have happened.

The dark haired woman beneath him leaned up and gently pressed her lips to his. The cyborg's fingers curled tightly into the fabric of the cushion on either side of her head. He wanted more but he wouldn't do it. Now wasn't the time for that, or the place for that matter. He'd wait until she gave him the okay, but for now they'd just enjoy the feeling of being near one another.

His body nearly lit on fire as he felt the timid brush of her tongue across his lips. He opened his mouth and showered her with his affection. His golden eyes lit up as her eyes fluttered closed and an expression of bliss took over her features. Another wave of possessiveness went through him. She was accepting him as he was. The sight of his body hadn't repulsed her at all. He leaned forward and pressed himself further into her. Kagome let out a low moan causing another thrill of electricity. His hand moved to her leg and gently kneaded the flesh over her thigh. Her face flushed but he chose not to take things any further than that. He needed her to come to him. He needed her to show him that this was exactly what she wanted.

The two were interrupted by the low rumble of someone's stomach. Genos' eyes slowly darkened with realization. Kagome burned with embarrassment.

"I think I'm a bit hungry," She laughed as her body let loose another roar of protest. This time he laughed with her.

"Better feed the beast then." The blond slowly climbed off of his girlfriend and helped her up. He wandered away temporarily to throw on his discarded shirt. "Should we go out to eat or do you want to make something?" He questioned.

Kagome sighed, "I'm too lazy right now. Want to head to the mall and pick up some food there? It's almost noon now anyways." He nodded at her. That actually sounded pretty good to him too. The pair took turns getting dressed in the bathroom and preparing for the day. By the time they were done it was close to one in the afternoon. Genos looped his arm around his girlfriend's neck as she locked the door behind them. She flashed him a bright smile as they made their way to their destination. Just this once, he hoped that their date wouldn't be crashed by anyone they didn't want to see.

* * *

Inuyasha stared at the man sulking in the hospital bed.

"How long are you going to complain? You got exactly what you deserved." The silver-haired man grunted as he leaned his shoulders against the wall. He cast Kouga a blistering glare.

"Shut the hell up! You didn't get nearly every bone in your body broken by that little fucker!" The blue-eyed male snarled, tossing a pillow at his 'arch nemesis'. Though he now had to reconsider whom he considered more of an enemy, Inuyasha or the cyborg bastard that had put him in the hospital for this long!

"Wrong again idiot." Inuyasha threw a cocky smirk at him, "I just heal a lot faster. Now then, you still gonna go chasing after her tail with that hell hound following her around?"

Kouga's expression turned dark, "Of course I am! I don't care who's after her! She's mine damn it!" The wolf-like man glared, "His violence is the number one reason why I want her _away_ from that guy! He's fucking psychotic!"

Inuyasha snorted, "Oh and your attempted rape wasn't anything short of being a gentleman? Give it up dumbass. Word from Sango is that they're dating now. You approach her and he'd kill you." That part wasn't a lie. He'd already tried on several occasions to follow the two around but each time that little bastard managed to detect his presence and shoot him the 'do it and die' stare. A shiver went up his spine. Other than Saitama, that was one man that made him feel fear. He had _not_ been a happy camper when he saw those two kissing like there was no tomorrow on the television screen. He'd been hanging out with Miroku and Sango at the time and it'd been his friend who convinced him not to confront Kagome—mostly because they both knew that he'd only wind up in the hospital again if he did. The little shit had made his move and got the girl. Now they were both relegated to position of 'friend zone'. Or at least they were at one point. Now it seemed as if they got pushed even further back to 'creeper alert' area. Damn it, how much harder was this going to get? At the very least he could say that there was still a minor chance to salvage a friendship with his ex-girlfriend. Kouga on the other hand was shit out of luck. He'd be lucky if she even looked at him again considering what he did.

"That's even worse! I have to go talk to her!" Kouga practically screamed. He tossed the covers from his nearly fully recovered body but the aches and pains from Genos' punishment stopped him from being able to completely support himself. "I love her! I won't let anyone else have her!" His voice became dark and Inuyasha sighed. Could the guy not take a hint at all?

"Hate to break it to you but she's perfectly happy right where she is," His golden eyes narrowed at the bastard, "Besides, I'd rather see her with him than you. At least he's never tried to force himself onto her." As much as he'd hate to admit, Inuyasha knew that he had spoken the truth. He didn't have a snowball's chance in hell to get back with Kagome. At the very least he could try to keep this creeper away from them in the mean time. Besides he had his own issues to deal with. Many of which involved his little whore that he had dabbled with. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed to talk to Saitama about that too. He was the only man that could give him any kind of guidance at this point—but would he be willing to hear him out? That was the main question.

"Fuck you asshole! What'd you do, come here just to fucking taunt me? Get the fuck out!" The male snarled. He threw the platter of food sitting out for him across the room. "Get out!" He screeched again. The remnants of the meal splattered across the pristine white walls-fortunately missing their target completely. Thick trails of sauce and something fruity dripped noisily to the ground.

Inuyasha shrugged, "Fine, I'll go but remember this, if you go near Kagome then Genos will likely murder you. He's not going to let you get near her."

"Out!"

The silver haired man sighed, "Don't say I didn't warn you." With that he closed the door behind him. The sounds of objects being tossed and random strings of curses echoed from within the room. Had Kouga always been like that? He couldn't remember. The thought caused a frown to crease Inuyasha's face. He didn't like Genos being with Kagome anymore than Kouga did but at least he could finally accept it. Doing so took a great deal of effort on his part. The only reason he even decided to let his pursuit drop was because Kagome had been right all along. He was only chasing after her to run away from something else—something much more important. He sighed and glanced down at the test in his hand. Why the hell had he brought it with him? Not even he could understand. Still, the young man's eyes were drawn to the dual set of lines. Hotaru was indeed pregnant and he was the father.

Inuyasha could no longer afford to run away. He needed to stand up and take responsibility for his actions. But first he needed to make things right. The only way he could do that would be to talk to Kagome and Genos firsthand. Warning them about Kouga's release from the hospital the following day would be a good way to get back into their good graces somewhat. He sighed again. Now he just needed to track them down. A message popped up on his phone.

_Kikyou spotted the pair at the Z-city mall. Looks like they're on a date. Proceed with caution._

It was Sango. She was only feeding him information now because she was aware of his plan to give Kagome the space she needed. He quickly messaged her his thanks and wandered off. Now time for the unpleasant task of speaking to Genos directly. Hopefully the guy wouldn't try to annihilate him first.

* * *

Kagome smiled as she and Genos went from one store to the next. They didn't buy much but spent their time trying on clothes and enjoying each other's company. The young woman leaned into her boyfriend. She laughed, pointing towards a small arts and crafts shop. He shrugged and moved to follow her but she quickly put a stop to that idea by holding up her hand.

"You stay here! I need to go get something!" She said with a small laugh in her tone. Genos' expression dropped but he let it go. He'd just find out what she was getting later. Chances are it was something for him considering the fact that she wouldn't let him follow. After about ten minutes Kagome reemerged from the shop with a medium sized bag. All the items inside had been wrapped neatly to keep him from peeking.

"You're very thorough aren't you?" The blond commented as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Kagome's face flushed again but she stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"But of course!"

They had stopped to eat earlier in the day and it'd been a fairly peaceful date. The only disturbance that Genos could pick up so far was Inuyasha following them at a distance. Normally he would've already confronted the little bastard for daring to interrupt them but it seemed as if the male had no intention of getting in their way today. He shrugged his shoulders and allowed the other man to follow them for the time being. He'd just put Inuyasha in his place should he make a move.

"Where do you want to go next?" Kagome asked as she looked over the directory. She hadn't been to the mall in ages so it'd been quite fun to come back today. Normally she went with Sango and they'd spend hours just wandering around aimlessly and talking about different things—usually how to handle Miroku's 'cursed' hands.

The blond smiled down at her, "Wherever you want." The dark haired girl grinned. Well he was definitely going to regret that one! She swiftly dragged him to one of the department stores.

The next hour was spent trying on different clothes. Genos was treated to the sight of her coming out of the dressing room in several different outfits—all of which were quite cute in his eyes. She started to laugh when he pulled out his phone and started to take pictures of her. To have a little bit of fun she started to pose for him as well. As Kagome went through the stack of outfits to try on, she finally reached the last one.

"Just give me another minute!" The dark haired girl called out. The blond relaxed and waited patiently. Sure, he was willing to wait—if only to see what she managed to pick out this time.

It was then that Inuyasha finally approached. He turned his golden gaze onto the unwanted male. Unlike before the bastard was looking away from them. He was rubbing the back of his head and his eyes darted over towards Genos' stiffened form.

"Mind if we talk?" He questioned. The cyborg shot a quick glance towards the dressing room. The sounds of curses and frustrated muttering echoed back. It sound like it'd take a little while. So he chose to follow the male a short distance away where it'd far enough to not be heard but still close enough to see.

Inuyasha took a deep breath, "Look I didn't come here today to fight." The silver-haired male started off.

Genos rose a brow. That was a surprise. From InuYasha's words, most of the tension left him save for a small bit of wariness, "Then why are you here?" He crossed his arms, but allowed his stance to slacken somewhat.

"Kouga's leaving the hospital tomorrow. He's pretty hellbent getting with Kagome." InuYasha poured out-might as well be blunt about it, sooner Genos and Kagome knew about the bastard's plot the better.

The cyborg grunted, though thankful for the information. Too bad for Kouga because Kagome wouldn't be available anywhere in Z-City. She would be going out of town the following morning and staying the night in J-City. She had promised Souta that they'd go see a soccer game together. So he had taken it upon himself to book her a hotel for the evening. He'd originally been planning on going with her to play guard dog against her parents, but with this latest bit of news it'd seem that he'd likely have to stay behind to watch for the wolf and issue his own 'warning'.

"Why are you telling me this?" Genos spoke up. For as grateful as he was, perhaps telling Kagome would have been much more prudent. Though the thought of Inuyasha and his girlfriend spending time alone for left him with a bad taste in his mouth. Was this what they called jealousy? It was painful and burned like nothing he ever felt before.

InuYasha became flustered, not expecting the question. He believed that he'd be dismissed right there and then so with no answer prepared, he couldn't help the sputter that spewed from his mouth. Genos raised a brow again and the silver-haired male sighed, "I didn't think Kagome would want to see me," but that answer didn't sate Genos, so he forced himself to tell the truth, "and, well," InuYasha dropped his shoulders in defeat, "I kind of have to grow up now."

The cyborg reeled. Had the world turned over? Who was this being? It certainly wasn't the Inuyasha he had met! That person was of the immature variety-so this wasn't something he thought he would hear from the idiot dog's mouth. "Why is that? I'm surprised to hear you say such a thing." He loosened his arms from his chest, the wariness was gone in an instant, "Considering you were quite an immature type the last I had saw you."

He flinched, "Yeah, I was...pretty bad with Kagome, wasn't I?" InuYasha murmured, scratching his nape, and Genos soberly realized InuYasha actually took some time to tame his ridiculous hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. It further emphasized the fact that InuYasha sincerely want to make amends and it made Genos uncomfortable for some reason. "Let's just say that..." InuYasha rolled his hands, trying to figure out how to explain his situation, "I'm... a… soon-to be dad."

There was a chuckle, "You knocked someone up, didn't you? I think Kagome mentioned that her name was Hotaru?" Genos lost the humor, drawing into a pitying sigh when InuYasha gave a dark scowl, "A congratulation is in order I suppose. It is good of you to make a change now before you have your child." It was impressive that it took a baby to force the silver-haired man to change his outlook on life.

InuYasha huffed, "Do me a favor and don't tell Kagome about my kid, would ya? I just came here to tell ya about the jackass, not to tell you my sob story." He shifted his head toward the stall Kagome was changing her clothes in, guilt pulled on his expression, "I know I fucked up." He didn't need to see Genos to know he was implying how obvious his terrible deeds were, "And Kagome didn't deserve the hell I put her through. She is a great woman, and I did nothing but wrong to her. Ain't right what I did, and there's nothing I can do about it but move on with an apology."

Genos hummed, "That will be on her if she wants to be friends with you again, InuYasha." Since he came all the way to warn him about the flea-ridden asshole and admitted his wrong doings Genos failed to see why he shouldn't spare him some respect. "When will you apologize to her in person?" He wanted to know-though he was a bit sure some hurt was still there for Kagome. Though he couldn't deny the sharper stings of jealousy that needled at his very being.

"Not today. It's too soon." InuYasha shook his head, "Appreciate ya not blasting me with your hellfire though, dude." He took one last look at the stall, "I should haul ass before Kagome catches me. Don't need her to start asking questions why I'm here with you. Take care and," InuYasha gave him a glare, "Don't hurt her. Not like I did. I don't wanna rally up support to tear your metal ass apart."

With a snort, Genos dismissed him with a sharp turn of shoulders, "Go."

InuYasha was gone when Kagome slipped from her stall, blinking at the distance Genos took, "What are you doing over there?"

"Surveying for more dresses." Genos tugged on a sea-green dress from a rack to emphasized his answer, "This color would be good on you." It was knee-length and had a halter-top. The straps had been embroidered with rhinestones and sequins—giving it a much brighter shine in the fluorescent lighting.

Kagome grinned, "That's one of my favorite colors. Show it to me! It's gotta be easier than what I'm wearing." She twirled to show her back, "This one is a pain in the ass to put on without some help." His golden eyes softened at the sight of her dressed in a pale blue gown. It flowed like ripples of water and a light sheen of fabric covered the lower portion—creating a vibrant color to the dress.

"That looks perfect." The S-Rank Hero commented as he withdrew his phone from his pocket and snapped another photo. Kagome smiled as she turned her shoulders slightly and allowed her hair to fall down her exposed backline. This was the first strapless she'd tried on. Normally she preferred halter-tops or thin straps. Although the edges seemed to pinch into her skin much more than needed. Perhaps this one was a bit too small? Unfortunately the sizes available shot up three numbers and the only other ones were too tiny. Maybe it was a bad time to go trying on gowns around homecoming season? Winter was about to hit them soon too.

The couple returned the items to their proper places as they left the mall. Genos threaded his fingers through Kagome's this time and gently led her down a less travelled path. Where most of the area was covered in concrete and tall, overhanging buildings, there was still one area left that had been untouched by human expansion. The blond tugged his girlfriend through a small gate to reveal a park. A sea of colors overtook their vision. From a multitude of families dressed in color codes to a bed of flowers that seemed to have nearly every species on display—they had been surrounded by color. The dark haired girl grinned as she pulled Genos through the crowd to the center of the park.

A tree stood proudly at the heart of it all. Its branches were splayed out widely and its leaves had turned a stunning shade of red.

"It's an old Japanese Maple tree." Genos pointed out as he looked it over. Her blue eyes lightened up and grabbed both of his hands.

"It's beautiful!"

The pair watched as a small band of young men and women propped open their instruments and began to play to the beat of their soul. As the park was a hub of all family and public life in the remains of Z-City, such sights were quite common. Many no-name bands would come here to play and hopefully be picked up by a record label. They also would go to the center of the market area and try their luck there, but as of now the park was still much more popular as it had a great deal more of foot traffic.

A small woman pulled out a violin and began to play a soothing, yet playful melody. Her companions joined her, each one carrying a different type of orchestral instrument. Kagome glanced at her boyfriend.

"Let's dance!"

So they did. As the music played the pair looped their arms together and began to sway to the sounds. His girlfriend's face lit up as he twirled her around. Her bright yellow skirt swished fluidly to the movement, brushing against his leg as she did so. The beat increased and so they picked up the pace in their dance. Genos brought one arm around Kagome's waist as he led her through a series of steps, all of which she followed with grace and a smile. A swirl of colors surrounded them as more couples and even a few families joined in.

The two lifted their arms high as a child accidentally danced a little too far away from her parents and wandered into Kagome's legs. The young woman smiled as she offered the girl a hand. The child took it and smiled as the teen twirled her around before sending her back to her parents' waiting arms. Genos grabbed his girlfriend again and dipped her low. His mouth brush gently across hers before bringing her back up. There was a small jeer from the crowd as the other couples took her boyfriend's lead. One in particular were on the verge of falling down as they were far too interested in delving their tongues down each other's throats—drawing an even louder jeer. Kagome laughed as Genos shrugged. The song wound down and the crowd began to disperse.

"That…" The dark haired woman started between heaves, "Was fun!"

The cyborg dropped several bills into one of the empty instrument cases. The band smiled up at him gratefully as he returned to Kagome's side.

"Yes it was." He commented. That was one of the first times he'd seen her so ecstatic. He'd have to take a mental note on how much she seemed to enjoy dancing. Perhaps he should take her out here more often?

With that the couple began to return home. The memories of yesterday's events forgotten for the moment.


End file.
